Russia has used its latest missile against Ukraine for a second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, a forceful signal to Kyiv and its Western allies as peace talks are in a crucial stage

Russia launched a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine, bombarding multiple regions with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

The choice of western Ukraine — near the border with Poland, an E.U. and NATO member — as the target seemed intended to send a message to Europe as it strongly backs Kyiv in the settlement talks.