Russia hits southern Ukraine with ‘massive’ aerial strikes overnight, killing at least 1
Russia launched another “massive” aerial attack overnight Saturday, hitting Ukraine in an assault that killed at least one and wounded dozens of others.
The latest drone and missile attack struck the southern and central regions of war-torn Ukraine. In Zaporizhzhia, one woman was killed and 28 other people were injured, according to local officials.
The Kremlin’s military launched 537 drones and decoys, along with 45 missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force reported Saturday morning. Kyiv’s military said it downed 510 drones and decoys and 38 missiles.
Fourteen regions in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk, were affected by strikes, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“It is absolutely clear that Moscow used the time meant for preparing a leaders-level meeting to organize new massive attacks,” Zelensky wrote Saturday morning on social platform X. “The only way to reopen a window of opportunity for diplomacy is through tough measures against all those bankrolling the Russian army and effective sanctions against Moscow itself – banking and energy sanctions.”
“This war won’t stop with political statements alone; real steps are needed. We expect action from the U.S., Europe and the entire world,” he added.
The overnight attack comes two days after a Russian airstrike on Kyiv killed 23 people and injured dozens of others. The Thursday attack damaged both the European Union’s (EU) and British Council offices in Ukraine’s capital. In response, the United Kingdom and the EU summoned their respective Russian ambassadors.
Hours after the attack Thursday, the Trump administration approved the sale of 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles and 3,350 GPS units as part of an $825 million munitions deal.
Ukraine said it struck Russian oil refineries in Syzran and Krasnodar. Russian officials confirmed a strike on the oil refinery in Krasnodar, which caused a fire in the area.
The Kremlin’s defense systems reportedly downed 20 Ukrainian drones, most of them in Crimea, according to the Russian defense ministry.
The blows on both sides come as negotiations over a potential peace agreement to end the war appear to be deadlocked.