At least seven people were killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight, including five in the central city of Dnipro where an apartment building was hit, officials said. Rescue workers were still searching for survivors under rubble on Saturday morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack lasted “practically all night”. British jets were scrambled from Romania during the heavy attack when Russian drones were detected near the border, though the UK Ministry of Defence rejected a report it had shot any down.
Meanwhile, Ukraine carried out some of its longest-distance drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. In Yekaterinburg, almost 1,600 km from Ukraine’s border, the governor said six people were injured when a building was struck. In nearby Chelyabinsk, a local leader said drones targeting an industrial facility were intercepted.
Russian missiles and drones also targeted the northern city of Chernihiv, where two people were killed, as well as Odesa and Kharkiv. Ukrainian authorities said they repelled the vast majority of more than 600 Russian drones, which appears to have been the largest attack in several days.
Zelensky wrote on social media: “The Russians’ tactics have not changed: strike drones, cruise missiles, and a significant amount of ballistics. Most of the targets are ordinary infrastructure in cities. Residential buildings, energy, and enterprises have been damaged.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it had shot down 127 drones over more than a dozen regions. It also claimed control of Bochkove, a village in the Kharkiv region, near Ukraine’s northern border. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the claim.
Romania’s defence ministry said it was investigating “the fall of an object” on its territory close to the Ukrainian border during the Russian attack. It clarified that British jets did not enter Ukrainian airspace and no drones were shot down.
With peace talks at an impasse, Ukraine continues to seek international backing. On Friday, Zelensky met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss strengthening air defence cooperation and joint military production.
Source: www.bbc.com