Russian air strikes kill two civilians in central Ukraine amid heightened conflict
Russian aerial attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed two civilians and injured six, while strikes in Kyiv and Odesa also caused casualties as the air war intensifies.
Russian drones and missiles hit the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro overnight, killing a man and a woman and wounding at least six people, local officials said. The attack also damaged food warehouses belonging to a regional retail chain, part of a series of strikes that have targeted civilian infrastructure.
In the southern Odesa region, a 24-story residential building was damaged, leaving several apartments destroyed and eight people, including a child, injured. The Kyiv region reported shrapnel injuries to a man and a woman, marking the seventh consecutive day of attacks on the capital.
Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched 174 attack drones, two ballistic missiles and two plane-launched missiles during the night, while Russia’s defence ministry reported shooting down 130 Ukrainian drones over 11 Russian regions and Crimea.
The air campaign comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchanged accusations, with Zelenskyy warning that Russian airspace could become unsafe for foreign flights and urging more international support. Putin dismissed the claims as “state terrorism” and hinted at possible retaliation against British military facilities, calling the details a “military secret.”
Analysts note that Russian ground advances have stalled, with recent gains described as limited compared with the previous year. Both sides continue to use drone strikes to target each other's economic assets, including food storage and oil facilities.