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.

A firefighter works at the site of a building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Poltava, Ukraine. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Poltava region/Handout via REUTERS KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian attack on the city of Poltava in central Ukraine killed two people and damaged a military recruitment centre,

Explosions were heard in Kyiv on July 3 as Russia launched a wave of drones across Ukraine. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, confirmed that one drone was shot down over the capital.

Russia, which has been sending massive waves of drones and missiles against Ukraine, said the U.S. move would help end the war early.

A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine triggered warnings in Kyiv on Wednesday that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying Russian air strikes and battlefield advances.