Regional officials reported fatalities, infrastructure damage, and civilian injuries following a new wave of attacks across Russian and Ukrainian territory.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Missile and drone strikes exchanged between Russia and Ukraine over the past 24 hours have killed at least eight people and wounded dozens more, according to regional officials on both sides of the conflict, as fighting intensified following recent large-scale bombardments and accusations of escalation.
Authorities in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast reported that one man was killed and another injured after attacks involving missiles and drones disrupted electrical and water infrastructure in the border region. Local officials said the strikes caused utility outages affecting surrounding communities.
The latest violence followed one of the heaviest Russian bombardments of Kyiv since the war began more than four years ago. Russian officials had vowed retaliation after accusing Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region. Ukrainian military officials denied the allegation and stated instead that they had targeted an elite Russian drone command unit operating in the area.
In the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka, local officials said four people, including two teenagers, were killed during shelling blamed on Ukrainian forces. Mayor Ivan Prikhodko attributed the deaths to what he described as Ukrainian armed aggression in statements posted to Telegram.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian regional authorities reported casualties and destruction across several southern and eastern regions following Russian attacks involving artillery, missiles, and drones.
In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian strikes killed two people and injured 16 others over the previous day.
Separate attacks near Kharkiv also resulted in civilian casualties. Officials said one person was killed and two injured after what preliminary reports described as a Russian missile strike on the nearby town of Derhachi.
Additional injuries were reported in the southeastern Ukrainian regions of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where local authorities said eight more people were wounded, including a six-year-old child.
Emergency response officials in Dnipropetrovsk said a drone attack struck a nine-story residential building in the town of Pavlohrad. Images released by emergency services showed heavy smoke rising from the damaged apartment complex.
Reuters stated it could not independently verify battlefield claims or casualty figures released by either side. Both Russia and Ukraine continue to deny intentionally targeting civilians during the conflict, which began after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Diplomatic efforts led by the United States to negotiate an end to the war have thus far failed to produce a settlement. Russian and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused one another of escalating the conflict while expanding offensive operations.
Ukrainian officials have also signaled concern about the possibility of renewed Russian offensives in northern regions of the country, prompting plans to deploy additional reinforcements.
On Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for renewed diplomatic engagement aimed at ending the war, saying international efforts to resolve the conflict should regain momentum amid continued attacks and mounting casualties on both sides.
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