Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, damaging apartment buildings, a university, a shopping mall and other infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said Monday. The attack came a day after Ukraine launched a major drone offensive against Russia involving more than 1,000 drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian strikes wounded five people in Zaporizhzhia and also affected nine other Ukrainian regions. Emergency crews were deployed to damaged areas to extinguish fires and assess the destruction.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its overnight operation targeted Ukrainian logistics hubs, warehouses, ports and other military-related facilities. At the same time, Russia reported that its air defenses had intercepted 244 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down or suppressed 148 Russian drones during the overnight assault. The figures reported by the two sides could not be independently verified.
The Russian attack followed Ukraine’s large-scale drone offensive over the weekend, when hundreds of Ukrainian drones were directed toward Moscow and other Russian regions. The strikes coincided with the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections and reportedly caused deaths and damage to infrastructure in the Moscow area.
The escalating exchange of long-range attacks comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue to show limited progress. Zelenskyy is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he has said he plans to discuss efforts to achieve peace and is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
The drone strikes are also raising concerns beyond Ukraine and Russia. Moldova temporarily closed part of its airspace after detecting an aerial object entering its territory, while Romania has also experienced an increase in reported drone incursions.
The latest attacks demonstrate how both sides are increasingly relying on long-range drones and other weapons to target military, industrial and logistical infrastructure far from the front lines.
With the war continuing for more than four years, the intensification of drone attacks is adding further pressure on efforts to reduce hostilities and protect civilians across the region.
Swifteradio.com
