Russia, Ukraine Trade Accusations of Overnight Strikes
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 86 Ukrainian drones during the assault, with 29 of those brought down over the border region of Belgorod. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed casualties in a Telegram post, writing: "As a result of further targeted strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, one civilian was killed and another was injured."
Other Russian regions cited by the Defense Ministry — including Saratov, Voronezh, and Smolensk — reported no fatalities or infrastructure damage, according to preliminary assessments.
On the other side of the front, the Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 274 of 297 Russian drones and shooting down 33 of 46 missiles fired overnight, according to a Telegram statement. Ukraine's State Emergency Service confirmed one fatality and five injuries in the village of Putrivka in the Kyiv region, where infrastructure, private homes, and commercial buildings sustained damage.
Energy facilities in the southwestern Odesa region were also struck during the overnight barrage, sustaining what officials described as "significant" damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X — the US social media platform — to address the broader scope of destruction, confirming eight total injuries across multiple regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava, and Sumy. He stressed that Russia's primary targets were energy-related, though residential buildings and railway infrastructure were caught in the strikes as well.
In a stark warning about the scale of Russia's offensive campaign, Zelenskyy declared: "This week alone, Russia launched more than 1,300 attack drones against Ukraine, over 1,400 guided aerial bombs, and 96 missiles of various types, including dozens of ballistic ones. That is why we must bolster our air defense. We need systems that effectively counter ballistic threats."
The Russian Defense Ministry later issued a follow-up statement asserting that its strikes specifically targeted military-industrial and energy infrastructure being utilized by the Ukrainian military.
Kyiv has not yet responded to Moscow's claims.
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