**Russian Attacks Kill 3, Injure 8 in Ukraine**
Over the past day, Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed three and injured eight civilians. This was reported by regional authorities on February 17.
**Drone Attacks**
Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russian forces launched 147 drones from several cities in Russia overnight. These drones were aimed at various parts of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv.
Ukraine’s air defense systems shot down 83 drones. Another 59 drones disappeared from radar without causing any damage. These decoy drones are often sent alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses.
**Attacks on Towns**
In Donetsk Oblast, two people were killed in an attack on the town of Bilytske. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian forces attacked the town of Marhanets with artillery, injuring four people, including a 64-year-old woman and three men.
**Regional Updates**
In Kherson Oblast, Russia targeted 32 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. Two people were injured in these attacks. In Kyiv Oblast, Russian forces attacked several settlements with drones, causing one man to suffer a hand injury.
**War Casualties**
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured since the start of the war. This number includes 1,530 casualties suffered by Russian forces over the past day.
**Global Response**
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to stop fighting in Ukraine. A delegation led by State Secretary Marco Rubio is set to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized that Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO is non-negotiable. The U.S. administration hopes to achieve a ceasefire agreement by Easter, which falls on April 20.
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