内容摘要：The charismatic and colourful Mr Ma, who was one of China's most prominent businessmen, had withdrawn from public life after criticising China's financial sector in 2020.

The charismatic and colourful Mr Ma, who was one of China's most prominent businessmen, had withdrawn from public life after criticising China's financial sector in 2020.

“We tried to put it out, but everything was burning so strongly,” she says through tears. “It was impossible to breathe – we had to leave.”The Russian Shahed drone killed the 14-year-old in her bed, in her suburban apartment in Kyiv, last month.

“She died immediately, and then burned,” her mother said. “We had to bury her in a closed coffin. She had no chance of surviving.”Russia is massively increasing drone strikes on Ukraine. More than 2,000 were launched in October, according to Ukraine’s general staff- a record number in this war.

says Russia fired 1,410 drones in September, and 818 in August - compared with around 1,100 for the entire three-month period before that.It’s part of a wider resurgence for Russian forces. The invaders are advancing all along the front lines. North Korean troops have joined the war on Moscow’s side. And with the election of Donald Trump for a second term as US president, Ukraine’s depleted and war-weary forces are facing uncertain support from their biggest military donor.

The majority of the Russian drones raining down on Ukraine are Iranian-designed Shaheds: propeller-driven, with a distinctive wing shape and a deadly warhead packed into the nose cone.

Russia has also started to launch fake drones, without any explosives, to confuse Ukraine’s air defence units and force them to waste ammunition.A patchwork teddy bear, one of several special keepsakes created for Cher's loved ones, sat between them on the sofa, sewn together from fragments of her old clothes.

"We didn't want to keep all her stuff in bags," Ms Jacobs explained, pointing out one patch, from a dress Cher had worn when they went to watch Beyoncé together, and another from a T-shirt she remembered buying her when she was a teenager."Her smile went from ear to ear," said Ms Jacobs.

Ms Maximen described her granddaughter as "fearless and adventurous", remembering how, one morning eight years ago, she'd disappeared during a trip to Barbados and returned explaining she'd met some local fishermen and was proudly showing off her catch."I just keep thinking she is on holiday," she said. "The hole in my heart will never be filled."