Zelenskyy hosts Carpathian Eight summit as Russian strikes hit Ukraine

Zelenskyy convened the first Carpathian Eight summit as fresh Russian strikes hit Ukraine overnight. The meeting underscored Kyiv's push for wider regional support while peace efforts remain stuck.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday welcomed leaders and representatives from seven regional countries for talks aimed at deepening cooperation, as overnight Russian strikes in several parts of Ukraine caused deaths, injuries and fires. The first summit of the so-called Carpathian Eight brought together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, with the European Union also involved.The meeting came as US-mediated efforts to end Russia's 4 1/2-year full-scale invasion remained stalled, with territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine among the main sticking points. Ukraine is also seeking security guarantees from its partners for any deal.Some of the countries at the summit, including Poland and Romania, have strongly backed Ukraine, while others such as Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia have refused to give Kyiv direct military assistance. Writing on Telegram, Zelenskyy called the summit a "significant beginning" of a movement meant to "further strengthen ties between our countries and create another strong element of cooperation at the EU level". He said the participating countries would work together on security, energy, logistics, cross-border economic ties and support for local communities.Separately, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said two people were killed and two others injured in overnight Russian strikes in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv. The attacks set warehouse and production buildings on fire. Rescuers had to pull back during repeated air raid alerts, while emergency deminers checked the area for explosive devices. Firefighters later put out the fires. In Zaporizhzhia, another Russian drone attack destroyed a shopping complex, injured one person and triggered a fire, the service said. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted and destroyed 629 Ukrainian drones overnight over 14 Russian regions, as well as illegally annexed Crimea and the Azov and Black seas. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 350 drones were headed towards Moscow, but most were destroyed far from the capital and 64 were shot down as they approached the city. In the southern Rostov region near the border with Ukraine, houses and residential buildings were damaged in an attack, local authorities said. Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar said there were no casualties.The Russian military also said it carried out overnight drone strikes on Ukraine's ports, vessels and logistics centres used by the military. It said Russian forces hit a bulk carrier in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk and a Nova Poshta logistics facility, 6 kilometres northwest of Odesa, which the ministry said was being used to store and distribute military cargo from Europe. Overall, the day saw Ukraine push regional cooperation through the Carpathian Eight summit even as both sides reported fresh overnight attacks. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 18, 2026 17:14 IST