Russian forces launched overnight and early Wednesday aerial attacks against Ukraine’s Kyiv and Odesa regions, damaging residential structures and leaving at least eight civilians injured, according to local authorities.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Kyiv and Odesa sustained the heaviest impact from the latest wave of Russian attacks, as the war between Moscow and Kyiv continues into its fifth year.
The conflict remains largely stalled along the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine, while diplomatic efforts led by the United States have so far failed to establish a clear route toward a peace agreement.
Tensions also escalated between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who traded warnings on Tuesday night regarding possible next moves in the conflict.
Zelenskyy cautioned international airlines against flying through Russian airspace, citing Ukraine’s long-range drone operations and warning that “Russian airspace will effectively be closing.”
He said continued military pressure was intended to push Moscow toward accepting peace talks.
Putin, meanwhile, accused Zelenskyy of “state terrorism” and declared:
“We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
Speaking to reporters late Tuesday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin also commented on reports that Ukraine had deployed British-made drones in attacks against Russian targets.
When asked whether Russia could target British military installations if London continues supplying weapons to Ukraine, Putin did not dismiss the possibility. He responded that the matter was “a military secret,” accompanied by a slight smile.
China and North Korea have also provided military backing to Russia, while Iran has supported Moscow with military assistance in earlier years.
The latest statements from Putin and Zelenskyy came as European governments considered how to respond to what they describe as a broader Russian campaign of sabotage and disruption intended to weaken international backing for Ukraine.
Germany, for instance, accused Russia on Tuesday of attempting to carry out an attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month using an explosives-laden drone.
ODESA APARTMENT BUILDING DAMAGED
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 174 attack drones against Ukraine overnight, including roughly half that were jet-powered models that are considered difficult to intercept and are being used more frequently by Russian forces. The barrage also included two ballistic missiles and two air-launched missiles.
Authorities in Odesa said a 24-story residential building sustained major damage, with apartments across several floors destroyed. Eight people, including a child, were reported injured.
Serhii Lysak, head of the Odesa city military administration, said several office buildings and two educational facilities were also affected.
The attacks additionally disrupted electricity in parts of the city, forcing electric-powered public transportation to stop operating, according to the city council.
In the Kyiv region, two civilians—a man and a woman—suffered shrapnel injuries during the morning strikes, regional military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said.
The latest attack marked Kyiv’s seventh consecutive day of being targeted, although officials said the intensity was lower than some of the previous barrages.
A warehouse was also set ablaze during the assault. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly accused Russian forces of striking civilian infrastructure in an effort to interfere with everyday life and undermine public morale.
The Kyiv city military administration reported a fire at an educational facility, while a medical practice was also damaged.
RUSSIA REPORTS CASUALTIES FROM UKRAINIAN DRONE STRIKES
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 130 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to the ministry, the drones were downed across 11 Russian regions, as well as over Crimea and the Black Sea.
Acting Belgorod Governor Alexander Shuvayev reported that Ukrainian drone attacks killed two people and injured 16 others in the Russian border region. He said the area experienced 140 attacks over a 24-hour period.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on domestically developed long-range drones to strike targets inside Russia. Previous attacks have focused on parts of Russia’s oil industry and warehouses operated by online retailers, with Kyiv seeking to put economic pressure on Moscow and make the consequences of the war more noticeable to Russian civilians.
WESTERN ANALYSTS SAY RUSSIAN ADVANCES REMAIN LIMITED
Western officials and analysts say Russia’s campaign to gain additional territory in Ukraine has recently slowed.
The Institute for the Study of War said late Tuesday that Russian territorial gains in August were “a fraction” of what Moscow captured during the same month the previous year.
The Washington-based think tank also assessed that Russia’s spring and summer offensive had failed to break through Ukraine’s defensive positions along the front.
“Russian gains remain slow and limited,” it said.