Kyiv, April 17 -- Russia unleashed its deadliest attack so far this year on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities overnight, killing at least 17 people, including a 12-year-old child, and wounding scores, in drone and missile strikes, officials said on Thursday. In Russia, a major Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl, injured seven, and sparked a large fire, Russian officials and media reported. The port is home to a major oil refinery as well as an export hub for oil, coal and fertilizer. Overnight in Kyiv, fires in several different places sent black smoke billowing into the sky. Its heavy smell lingered through the morning as residents and emergency crews cleaned debris scattered around heavily damaged buildings including apartment blocks and a hotel. Four people, including the child, died in Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Eight people were killed in Odesa, and four in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where Russian attacks set residential buildings ablaze, according to regional officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the night had proven that Russia did not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions, with 100 people wounded alongside those killed. "There can be no normalisation of Russia as it is today. Pressure on Russia must work. And it is important to fulfil every promise of assistance to Ukraine on time," he said. Moscow said it had carried out a "massive" strike on Ukraine that had hit energy targets used by Ukrainian forces and cruise missile and drone production, without giving details. Kyiv's drone forces commander said Ukrainian military struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea and infrastructure in Russia's southern port of Tuapse. Ukraine said its air force units shot down or neutralised 31 missiles and 636 drones, but 12 missiles and 20 drones hit in the 24 hours to 7am (0500 GMT) on Thursday. Rescue operations were ongoing and the toll could rise, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged the international community to act. "All decisions required to increase pressure on the aggressor must be unblocked now," he said on X. "It is immoral, counterproductive, and dangerous to delay sanctions against Russia or packages of support for Ukraine." A Ukrainian unit told AFP on Wednesday that it has carried out more than 100 attacks on the front using ground robots, after President Volodymyr Zelensky recently hailed the capture of a Russian position thanks to this new method. "In total, there have already been over 100 such operations," said a source within the NC-13 company, which specialises in the use of these combat machines and is part of Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade. "These operations include the elimination of enemy personnel, the destruction of shelters, command posts, and other enemy infrastructure objects. These are no longer isolated incidents, but systematic combat operations," the source said. The systems allow the replacement of infantry assaults - which can result in soldier deaths -- but also to detect and engage targets and prevent enemy infiltrations, the source said....