Ukraine has launched a barrage of drones across Russia overnight in attacks that appeared to target the country’s energy infrastructure. Russian officials say 50 drones were shot down by air defences over eight Russian regions, including 26 over the country’s western Belgorod region close to the Ukrainian border. Three people were reported killed and Russia also claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet. The drone strikes appeared to be directed toward Russia’s energy infrastructure. In recent months, Russian refineries and oil terminals have become priority targets of Ukrainian drone attacks, part of stepped-up assaults on Russian territory.

This month’s unprecedented direct attacks between Iran and Israel are revealing deeper insights into both militaries. Experts say Friday’s apparent precision strike by Israel deep into Iran demonstrated Israel’s military dominance on almost all fronts. Israel has not taken responsibility for the airstrikes, which are believed to have hit near military and nuclear targets in central Iran. Charles Lister is a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute. Lister says the unprecedented rounds of strikes between Iran and Israel make clear that Israel is the Goliath in the equation, outmatching Iran. Lister points to Iranian-allied militias in the Middle East, especially Hezbollah, as Iran’s one potential advantage.

The U.N. World Food Program has agreed to help deliver aid for the starving civilians of Gaza once the U.S. military completes a pier for transporting the humanitarian assistance by sea. That's according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The involvement of the U.N. agency could help resolve one of the major obstacles facing the U.S.-planned project — the reluctance of aid groups to handle on-the-ground distribution of food and other badly needed goods in Gaza. An Israeli military attack April 1 that killed seven aid workers intensified international criticism of Israel for failing to provide security for humanitarian workers. U.S. officials say conditions that would allow the aid to be delivered safely are still being negotiated.

Israel and Iran are both playing down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran. The muted public responses signal the two bitter enemies are ready to prevent their latest eruption of violence from escalating into a full-blown regionwide war. But the indecisive outcome of weeks of tensions — which included an alleged Israeli strike that killed two Iranian generals, an unprecedented Iranian missile barrage on Israel and the apparent Israeli strike early Friday in the heart of Iran — has done little to resolve the deeper grievances between the foes and left the door open to further fighting.