Russian strikes kill 2 Ukrainian civilians as Moscow and Kyiv threaten to raise the stakes

Russian aerial attacks conducted overnight and during daylight on Wednesday killed two civilians and wounded six people in central Ukraine, with local officials reporting that the city of Dnipro, along with the Kyiv and Odesa regions, bore the brunt of the strikes. The latest violence comes as Moscow and Kyiv threaten to escalate the ongoing air war.

Amid the heightened hostilities, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed potential targets regarding foreign military assistance to Ukraine. When asked whether Russia might strike British military facilities if the U.K. continues supplying weaponry to Kyiv, Putin declined to rule out the possibility, telling reporters with a smile that the matter is "a military secret."