Russia and Ukraine exchanged deadly strikes overnight, killing at least seven civilians and injuring dozens more on both sides, according to local authorities.
Kehinde Adegoke | SCMP
In Russia’s Belgorod border region, Ukrainian drones killed five people and injured more than 20, including a four‑year‑old boy. Regional officials said the attacks damaged 29 apartment blocks, five private houses, and several commercial facilities.
Meanwhile, Russian missiles struck Kharkiv’s Saltivskyi district, killing two people and injuring 13. In Odesa, “dozens of missiles and drones” hit the Black Sea port city and surrounding areas, leaving eight more injured, regional head Oleh Kiper reported.
The strikes highlight Ukraine’s urgent need for more air defence systems. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly lobbied allies, especially the United States, for additional Patriot batteries and ammunition, arguing they are crucial to protect civilians from Russia’s escalating missile campaign.
Moscow’s defence ministry claimed its forces targeted drone warehouses, fuel depots, and military stores in Kharkiv and Odesa, while shooting down 153 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.
The violence also spilt beyond Ukraine’s borders. Moldova reported a “powerful explosion” from a combat drone in Crocmaz village near the frontier. At the same time, Bulgaria summoned Ukraine’s ambassador after a drone entered its airspace and exploded near a gas pipeline.
