Russian strikes in Ukraine leave dozens injured amid rising drone attacks
Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities escalated tensions as attacks on Kharkiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia caused significant casualties and damage.
In Kharkiv, at least 19 people were injured when Russian forces targeted a courtyard in the city center, damaging over 40 houses, according to Oleh Syniehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region. The Odesa region also faced devastation as a rocket attack left casualties, Governor Oleh Kiper confirmed.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, another Russian strike injured a child and damaged several homes, reported Governor Ivan Fedorov. Meanwhile, drone attacks in the Mykolaiv region targeted energy infrastructure, disrupting electricity services, according to Governor Vitaliy Kim.
Ukraine’s air force responded swiftly, intercepting 71 of the over 140 Russian drones used in the latest wave of overnight attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more international sanctions, arms packages, and unwavering global support to counter these attacks.
“These Russian strikes on Ukrainian lives can be stopped—with pressure, with sanctions, by blocking the occupiers’ access to the components they use to manufacture the means of this terror, by providing arms packages for Ukraine, and with a determination that must be unwavering,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
In response to Ukraine’s retaliation, Russia claimed its air defenses downed 23 Ukrainian drones. The Russian Defense Ministry reported drone interceptions over Kaluga, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, with wreckage damaging an industrial facility in Kaluga.
The escalating attacks highlight the dire need for international efforts to curb the violence and support Ukraine’s resilience.
