Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight strikes that killed 7 civilians and injured dozens on both sides, while Moldova reported a drone-related blast near its border with Ukraine.
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In Ukraine, Russian missile and drone attacks hit Kharkiv and Odesa, killing two people and injuring at least 21 others, according to local authorities.
In Kharkiv, a Russian missile struck a high-rise apartment building in the Saltivskyi district, killing two people and injuring 13, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said. In Odesa, eight people were injured after “dozens of missiles and drones” hit the city and surrounding region, according to regional administration head Oleh Kiper.
Russia has intensified large-scale missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, taking advantage of Kyiv's shortage of interceptors for US-made Patriot air defence systems, reported Associated Press. The Patriots are currently the only system in Ukraine's arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged the US and other countries to provide more Patriot systems, saying they are essential for protecting civilians. He has also sought permission to manufacture Patriot ammunition in Ukraine or, failing that, approval from Elon Musk to use Starlink satellite communications to guide strikes against Russian missile launch sites.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued long-range drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and other targets deep inside Russia. The strikes have contributed to fuel shortages and have also targeted the country's largest online retailer, Wildberries, among other sites.
Meanwhile, in Russia's Belgorod region, Ukrainian drone attacks killed five people and injured about two dozen others, including a four-year-old boy, according to regional authorities.
The strikes damaged 29 apartment buildings, five private houses, administrative buildings and commercial facilities, authorities said.
Debris from Ukrainian drones also fell on two enterprises and a private home in the Russian city of Novorossiysk. Mayor Andrey Kravchenko said one person was later injured, while two private houses and a window in an apartment building were damaged.
Novorossiysk is home to a major fuel terminal that connects Kazakhstan's oil fields with international markets and has previously been targeted by Ukrainian strikes.
