Two French volunteer aid workers have been killed in a Russian drone attack in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Friday, confirming reports from the regional governor and other officials.
Posting on social media platform X, Sejourne blamed Russia for targetting civilians in Ukraine and adding that they "will have to answer for its crimes".
Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Thursday via the Telegram messaging app that the Russian attack on the town of Beryslav, on the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, had killed two French nationals and wounded three other foreigners.
French President Emmanuel Macron in a post on X called Thursday's killings a "cowardly and disgraceful act", and expressed his support for all volunteers engaged in helping other nations.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy offered his condolences and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
"Russian terror knows no boundaries or victims' nationalities. The brave French aid workers assisted people and we will always be grateful for their humanity," he said on X.
The Kremlin on Tuesday reacted icily to Donald Trump's warnings to President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, saying that recent decisions by the US president and the NATO military alliance would be interpreted by Kyiv as a signal to continue the war.
Syrian troops entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday following two days of clashes, the first time government forces have deployed to the city since Ahmed al-Sharaa took over as President in December.
NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson splashed down safely in the Pacific early on Tuesday after her fifth trip to the International Space Station, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary returning from their countries' first ISS mission.
US President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday, and threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports unless Russia agrees a peace deal, a major policy shift brought on by frustration with Moscow's ongoing attacks on its neighbour.
India has ordered its airlines to examine fuel switches on several Boeing models, while South Korea said it would order a similar measure, as scrutiny intensified of fuel switch locks at the centre of an investigation into a deadly Air India crash.