KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Recent Russian attacks on Ukraine resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including a child, while 29 others sustained injuries, as reported by officials on Saturday. In a reciprocal action, Ukrainian forces successfully damaged over two dozen Russian vessels, including tankers, in the Sea of Azov.
The conflict intensified as Ukraine's drones have been targeting oil refineries and other critical infrastructure in Russia, aiming to weaken its war effort. This offensive has sparked a severe fuel crisis across Russia, leading to significant gasoline shortages. In response, Moscow has ramped up its bombardments on Kyiv and other urban areas, highlighting Ukraine's susceptibility to ballistic missile strikes.
According to Ukraine's General Staff, 21 tankers used for transporting oil and petroleum products were damaged overnight, along with four tugboats, two cargo ships, and a dredging vessel. In contrast, Russian officials reported that only one person was killed in the drone strikes, claiming that just four ships were targeted.
In the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, a devastating attack involving two aerial glide bombs resulted in four deaths, including a child, and wounded 17 others. The head of the Sumy region, Oleh Hryhorov, provided these grim details following the bombings, which struck a densely populated area.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that missile and drone attacks overnight on Kyiv left eleven people injured, including one child. Additionally, in the southern region of Odesa, two fatalities were confirmed after a Russian missile struck a building, leading to another injury from shrapnel.
Witnesses reported explosions and fires across various districts in Kyiv, including Solomianskyi, Darnytskyi, and Dniprovskyi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia launched a coordinated assault comprising 12 missiles, including six ballistic missiles, paired with 121 drones. Although most of the drones and several missiles were intercepted, some ballistic missiles successfully reached their targets, underlining the acute deficiencies in Ukraine's air defense capabilities.
Ukrainian air defenses claimed they managed to shoot down or electronically suppress two missiles and 111 drones. The air force further noted that direct hits occurred in 11 different locations due to the attacks. Moreover, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its forces focused on targeting drone production facilities in Kyiv, as well as strategic ports in Izmail and Chornomorsk within the Odesa region.
In addition to the offensive operations, the Russian ministry asserted that its air defenses had successfully neutralized 178 Ukrainian drones overnight over eight Russian regions, in addition to intercepting drones over the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and the Black and Azov seas.
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