KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two civilians were killed and six others injured after Russian aerial attacks struck a city in central Ukraine overnight and into Wednesday, according to local officials. The Kyiv and Odesa regions were also heavily targeted in the latest wave of Russian strikes.

The aerial campaign has grown increasingly intense as Russia’s war against Ukraine moves deeper into its fifth year. Despite the escalating attacks, the battlefield across eastern and southern Ukraine has remained largely stalemated, while U.S.-backed diplomatic efforts to secure a settlement have so far failed to establish a clear route toward peace.

The confrontation took another turn Tuesday night when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued sharply contrasting warnings about what could come next.

Zelenskyy cautioned international airlines against assuming Russian airspace was safe, pointing to Ukraine’s expanding campaign of long-range drone strikes inside Russia. He said the pressure was designed to force Moscow toward negotiations and warned that “Russian airspace will effectively be closing.”

Putin responded by accusing Zelenskyy of “state terrorism” and declared: “We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, a government agency, rejected Putin’s accusation, arguing that the Russian president was attempting to redirect responsibility for the conflict away from Moscow.

“A state that itself unleashed this war, that daily commits terror against Ukrainian civilians and destroys cities, is again trying to portray itself as a ‘victim,’” the center said.

The dispute comes as both sides continue to signal that they are prepared to intensify their military pressure rather than ease it. Ukraine has increasingly relied on long-range drones to strike targets inside Russia, while Moscow continues its extensive missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin sought to downplay concerns about the effect of Ukrainian drone operations on aviation, saying Russian authorities are continuously taking steps to strengthen flight safety.