Russia killed two people in an airstrike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava on Thursday and damaged a military draft office there in what Kyiv said was a concerted campaign to disrupt recruitment for its war effort.

For months the talk in Kyiv was of a much-anticipated Russian offensive that would aim to gobble up more of Ukraine’s eastern regions. So far, it’s been underwhelming – but the Russians have made some gains and vastly reinforced their troop numbers in some areas.

The Russian military launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev and a series of other places on Thursday evening, as talks elsewhere suggested problems for the embattled country. Air defences are active on the east bank of the Dnipro River,