Kyiv's Allies Rally as Drones Kill 5 in Pavlograd

Russian drones struck a shopping district in central Pavlograd on Wednesday, killing five people and wounding 67, including eight children, one of the deadliest hits of the week. Hours earlier, Russian forces also hit volunteer warehouses holding aid supplies in Odesa, wounding two and sparking a fire crews later put out. Against that backdrop, allies rallied around Kyiv. In Calgary, Zelensky and Canadian PM Mark Carney signed a declaration raising ties to a hundred-year strategic partnership covering defense, NATO and EU accession, and security guarantees. Carney pledged 350 million CAD for interceptors and mass drone production, part of a new air defense package Zelensky said Canada had prepared. Europe added its own support: Baden-Württemberg signed a deal with Ukraine on intelligence sharing against hybrid threats, Denmark set aside 45 million crowns for Ukrainian veterans, and the EU opened talks with Kyiv on joining its IRIS2 satellite program. Foreign Minister Wadephul said politicians must work harder convincing voters that backing Ukraine remains necessary. Security worries surfaced too: Poland's Tusk said Polish and Ukrainian services foiled a border-crossing threat overnight, German police cordoned off Ukraine's consulate in Düsseldorf over an unclear threat, and Moscow protested Romania's 30-day detention of a Russian suspected of planning sabotage.