Russia's Missile and Drone Attacks Kill Eight in Ukraine, Kyiv Claims Retaliation

Kyiv. At least eight people have died and dozens have been injured in a series of ballistic missile and drone attacks by Russia in Ukraine.

Four people died in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, an elderly woman in the capital Kyiv, two in the southern Zaporizhzhia, and one in the northeastern Sumy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this attack in Kyiv was one of the most intense ballistic strikes since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. Late on Sunday, according to the Ukrainian Navy, five people were killed when a Russian missile hit a civilian cargo ship owned by Turkey in the Black Sea. Russia has not commented on this matter.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has also claimed to have attacked Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea and three oil depots in the southern Stavropol region. Zelenskyy said those depots were targeted because they were the source of Russian attacks.

Attacks occurred in various places in the Kyiv region throughout the night. The Ukrainian military claimed that the capital's air defense system shot down 18 out of 41 missiles and 108 drones. According to Oleh Synyehubov, the regional head of Kharkiv, four men aged 24 to 62 died when an attack hit a postal terminal in the city's suburb. Some of the injured are in serious condition.

In a Telegram message, Zelenskyy said that in the past week, Russia has used approximately 1,450 strike drones, over 1,640 guided bombs, and 99 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also provided information about Ukraine's retaliatory strikes. He said, 'Units of the Security Service (SBS) simultaneously struck three oil depots in the Stavropol region, while our armed forces struck another fuel area in the same region. Precise strikes were recorded on three of Russia's 'shadow fleet' tankers in the Black Sea. I thank each of our units that helps spread the realization within Russia that this war must end.'

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which transports Kazakhstan's Caspian oil to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, reported an attack on its terminal. Oil loading operations were suspended after two tankers were damaged. However, there were no casualties or oil spills. The governor of Stavropol said that a fire broke out in an industrial park due to drone attacks.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian weapons including Iskander and hypersonic Zircon missiles, along with 125 drones, were used in the latest strikes in Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that residential and non-residential buildings, as well as a supermarket and a dormitory, were damaged.

Before this attack, Ukraine had sent drones to destroy two warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer 'Wildberries', resulting in eight deaths and a large fire. Seven people died and 25 were injured at a facility in Tambov, a city about 475 kilometers southeast of Moscow, while one person died and 37 were injured at another warehouse in Elektrostal, near the capital.

Zelenskyy said that these actions by Ukraine were a response to Russia's attacks on its civilian infrastructure, cities, and communities. Wildberries is often considered the Russian equivalent of Amazon.

Ukraine has recently intensified its long-range drone attacks on Russia's critical energy infrastructure, causing widespread fuel shortages in Russia. Earlier this month, Kyiv claimed to have disabled about 43 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity.