European Union officials could reach a political agreement as soon as Thursday on a plan for a huge loan to Ukraine backed by Kremlin money frozen in a Belgian financial institution.

LONDON -- Russia overnight launched a heavy air attack on Ukraine -- including striking Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles -- that killed at least six people, including two children.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever insists that his European partners must share the risk of using billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets that are held in his country to help keep Ukraine’s economy and war effort afloat in coming years.

Russia launched a large-scale air attack on Ukraine early Wednesday, causing power outages across most of the country, setting homes ablaze and killing at least six people, including a six-month-old baby,

Ukraine's president has urged the European Union to back a plan to release billions of euros in frozen Russian cash to help fund the country's defence. As EU leaders met in Brussels, Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped they would make a "positive decision" about using €140bn (£122bn) in Russian assets currently held in a Belgian clearing house.

Squeezed by President Donald Trump and taxpayers, E.U. leaders are weighing a plan to tap into some $200 billion in frozen Russian assets to give Ukraine cash.

A series of explosions were reported overnight on Oct. 23 in the Russian city of Ryazan, with local residents suggesting a drone strike may have targeted the Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of Russia’s key fuel infrastructure facilities.

By Dmitry Antonov, Pavel Polityuk and Simon Johnson MOSCOW/KYIV/LINKOPING, Sweden (Reuters) -Russia said on Wednesday it had carried out a major training exercise involving nuclear weapons, a day after the United States announced a delay in plans for a second summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on the war in Ukraine.