RUSSIA and Ukraine exchanged attacks early this morning, hours before a planned three-day ceasefire, with a mother and her son among the victims in Kiev.

The assault on the Ukrainian capital came as Russia faced disruption from sustained Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow for the third consecutive day, grounding flights ahead of the country’s Victory Day military parade in the Red Square this Friday.

According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Russian air defences intercepted nine long-range Ukrainian drones near the capital.