Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least six people on Saturday, with the deadliest attacks hitting apartment blocks in Dnipro. Officials reported multiple civilian deaths and dozens wounded, and a drone crash in Romania forced the evacuation of more than 200 people. President Zelensky urged stronger allied air defences and tougher EU sanctions as Kyiv steps up retaliatory strikes. Diplomacy remains stalled amid wider geopolitical distractions.
Russian Strikes Kill Six Across Ukraine, Heavy Toll in Dnipro Apartment Attacks
The deadly strike on the building in Dnipro was one of several overnight across Ukraine (Handout)(Handout/State Emergency Service of Ukraine/AFP)
Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least six people on Saturday, officials said, with the deadliest blows hitting residential buildings in the eastern city of Dnipro.
The attacks continue a near-daily campaign since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, during which many civilians have been killed or wounded.
Details From Dnipro
Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said an overnight strike on an apartment block in Dnipro killed four people and wounded 27. A later strike on a second residential building in the same neighbourhood killed one person and wounded seven more. Dnipro's mayor, Borys Filatov, said the city's deputy mayor was "nearly killed" in one of the strikes.
'Massive Strike'
In southern Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian drone strike on a civilian minibus killed one person and injured four, regional administration head Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram. The Russian defence ministry said it had "launched a massive strike" on Ukrainian military targets in the preceding 24 hours; Moscow continues to deny intentionally targeting civilians.
After the barrage, local authorities reported a drone crashed in Romania — a NATO and EU member bordering Ukraine — forcing the temporary evacuation of more than 200 people.
International Response and Sanctions
"The Russians' tactics remain unchanged: attack drones, cruise missiles and a significant amount of ballistic missiles," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Most of the targets are ordinary infrastructure in cities. Residential buildings, energy facilities and businesses have been damaged."
Zelensky called on Western allies, especially in Europe, to strengthen Ukraine's air defences and impose harsher sanctions on Russia. His plea followed the EU's approval of a long-delayed 20th sanctions package targeting Russia's banking sector and new restrictions on oil exports, and the endorsement of a €90 billion loan to Ukraine to bolster defences and cover state spending for 2026–2027.
Retaliation and Front Line Developments
Kiev has stepped up retaliatory strikes in recent months, and Russian officials reported several incidents on their territory in the past day. Kursk region governor Alexander Khinshtein said a Ukrainian drone wounded one person. Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported a drone strike on a car that killed a woman and seriously wounded a man, with another strike wounding a man driving a tractor. A rare Ukrainian drone strike also struck a high-rise apartment block in Yekaterinburg; local authorities reported no serious injuries.
On the frontline, Russia claimed to have captured the village of Bochkove in Kharkiv region.
Diplomacy
Diplomatic efforts to end what has become Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II remain stalled. U.S.-led mediation has been complicated by the outbreak of the Middle East war in February, limiting progress toward a settlement.
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