Russia launched a fresh wave of missile, drone and artillery attacks across Ukraine overnight, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials. The attacks targeted several regions, including Kharkiv, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk, and two commercial vessels in the Black Sea were also hit in the ongoing conflict, they said.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russian forces launched 174 drones overnight from Russian territory and the Crimean Peninsula. Besides the drone barrage, Russia fired two Zircon anti-ship missiles from its Kursk region. The attacks were part of another major offensive as both sides intensified military operations on multiple fronts.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, air defence systems intercepted or electronically jammed 141 incoming aerial targets. Drone interceptions took place in 15 locations across the country, and debris from destroyed drones fell in at least nine other areas. Ukrainian military officials said that Zircon missiles did not reach their intended targets.
“Enemy missiles did not reach the targets,” the Air Force said in an official statement posted on Telegram. Ukrainian officials praised the effectiveness of air defence units but said the magnitude of the attack still caused great damage and casualties.
The attacks were particularly severe in northeastern Kharkiv region. Russian strikes hit 14 settlements across the region, killing five people and injuring 15 others, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Residential and civilian infrastructure sites suffered extensive damage. In Balakliya and Lypkuvativka, emergency services were assessing the damage and helping affected people.
In the southern Kherson region, Russian shelling targeted 25 communities. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said three people were killed and five others injured. The attacks damaged apartment buildings, private homes, a mobile communications tower and a gas pipeline.
The central Dnipropetrovsk region was also under heavy fire. Regional administration head Oleksandr Ganzha said Russian forces conducted more than ten attacks in four districts using drones, artillery and aerial bombs. Two people were injured.
The strikes also caused damage to warehouses in the city of Dnipro, an outpatient medical clinic in Pavlohrad, and a shopping centre in Nikopol. Residential buildings in Kryvyi Rih and Synelnyky also suffered damage. Emergency workers were sent to the affected areas to clear up the debris and provide services.
In a separate development, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces used Geran-4 Seeker loitering drones to strike two commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea. Russian officials said one was a Ukrainian dry cargo ship heading toward Odesa, while the second was a tanker at the port. Moscow claimed both vessels were carrying military supplies.
However, these claims could not be independently verified, and Ukrainian authorities had not immediately commented on the reported strikes against the ships.
The recent attacks underscore the ongoing intensity of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which continues to impact civilian populations and critical infrastructure. With military operations still ongoing, there are still great concerns about regional security, maritime safety in the Black Sea and the humanitarian effects of the extended war.
