Strikes across Zaporizhzhia and Sumy killed civilians on both sides of the front as Ukraine warned that Russia may be preparing a larger missile assault and Romania intercepted another drone near its border.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
At least 11 people were killed as Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged drone attacks across multiple regions, while neighboring Romania shot down another unmanned aircraft that entered its airspace.
Moscow-installed officials said Ukrainian forces struck tourist resorts in the partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, killing eight people and injuring 14 others. Two children were among those killed, according to Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-appointed regional head.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reported resort attack.
In northeastern Ukraine, Sumy regional head Oleh Hryhorov said three people were killed after a Russian drone struck what he described as a “civilian facility” and caused a major fire. The victims were drivers employed by the private Ukrainian postal and delivery company Nova Poshta.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces targeted a “storage and launch site” used for Ukrainian drones in the Sumy region.
The exchanges followed a separate Russian drone strike late Friday in Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhzhia. Regional head Ivan Fedorov said the attack hit a shopping center and started a fire that spread across approximately 500 square meters, injuring several people.
The latest violence came one day after a major Russian strike hit a location hosting a defense-industry event near Kyiv, killing at least 10 people and wounding nearly 100 others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday evening that intelligence assessments indicated Russia was preparing missiles for a large-scale attack. He warned that the assault could occur within the following 48 hours.
The conflict also continued spilling into neighboring NATO territory.
Romania’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that its forces “safely shot down” a drone after it entered Romanian airspace near the Ukrainian border. Officials said the interception occurred over an unpopulated area.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said in a Facebook post that the drone was “shot down by a Romanian pilot from an F-16 aircraft.”
The incident followed another interception Friday near Padina, northeast of Bucharest.
Romania and other NATO members have experienced repeated drone incursions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Unmanned aircraft operated by both Russia and Ukraine have crossed borders or struck locations outside the immediate combat zone.
In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded at Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta, while three additional sea drones detonated outside the port. No injuries were reported.
A Russian drone involved in an attack on Ukraine in May also went off course and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people.
The latest attacks highlight the expanding use of aerial and maritime drones throughout the war, with strikes continuing to kill civilians, damage commercial sites and test the defenses of countries bordering Ukraine.
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