Russian bombardments in eastern Ukraine killed two people overnight, local authorities reported on Thursday, while Moscow launched another large-scale drone attack that injured 10 people and sparked fires hundreds of kilometers from the front lines.
Both Russia and Ukraine have escalated aerial attacks, even as US President Donald Trump urges the Kremlin and Kyiv to reach a ceasefire after more than three years of brutal fighting.
In the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions, Ukrainian officials reported that two people were killed, and several others were wounded after Russia dropped more than 30 glide bombs on towns near the border.
In a separate attack, Russia launched a drone assault on the town of Kropyvnytsky, located hundreds of kilometers from the front line, wounding 10 people, including four children. The strike caused massive fires, sending plumes of smoke and flames into the sky. "Kropyvnytsky underwent the most massive enemy attack. Peaceful residential buildings were destroyed," said regional governor Andriy Raikovych.
The Ukrainian railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, also reported disruptions in the region due to the shelling.
Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak criticized the attack on civilians, writing on social media, "This is what a ceasefire from Putin looks like. Russia attacks civilians with great pleasure."
The Ukrainian air force reported that the Russian drone attack on Kropyvnytsky and other areas included 171 drones, of which 75 were shot down by air defenses. An additional 63 drones were downed by electronic jamming systems or were lost.
Meanwhile, Russia stated that its air defense units shot down 132 Ukrainian drones across various regions.
The southwestern region of Saratov and its city of Engels were also targeted in what was described as "the most massive UAV (drone) attack ever," according to the regional governor, Roman Busargin. The strike at the Engels airbase triggered a fire and wounded two people. The attack also caused damage to schools and a hospital, according to Russia’s investigative committee.
