Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 111 Ukrainian drones in three hours over six Russian regions, including eight over Moscow.

LONDON -- At least seven people were killed and 39 injured in Ukraine after Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of long-range drone strikes Wednesday night into Thursday morning, according to Ukrainian officials.

Both Russia and Ukraine are innovating methods to deploy ground robots for assault missions, engineering tasks, and coordination with air-based drones.

Ukraine has used long-range drones to attack Russian oil platforms as it expands its strikes on the country's energy sector.

But Putin appears committed to a relentless push, regardless of its slow pace and high cost. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a post to Facebook last week that Russia has amassed 710,000 troops along the front for its offensive operations.