KYIV, Nov 3 — Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Tuesday Russian air defence systems downed nearly 500 drones headed towards the capital, as a flare-up in fighting with Ukraine dashed hopes of progress towards peace.

The attacks followed a rare pause in the fighting between Russia and Ukraine in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which ended Sunday.

The truce, which was the longest in the war that erupted in February 2022, enabled a humanitarian mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.

Hours after the local ceasefire ended, Russia targeted a village in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, killing at least 26 people, the acting regional governor said.