Russian forces launched a series of guided aerial bombs on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk and the nearby village of Bilenke on Thursday evening, killing at least one person and wounding 17 others, according to officials in Donetsk Oblast.
The strikes, which occurred between 20:30 and 20:56 local time, targeted residential areas, including an apartment block. The regional prosecutor's office confirmed the casualties, noting that victims suffered blast injuries, shrapnel wounds, and burns.
Ukraine's air force reported that it intercepted 90 of the 112 drones launched by Russia overnight. Moscow has not commented on the Kramatorsk attack.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil hub
In a separate development, Russian authorities reported a Ukrainian drone attack on the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region, which sparked a fire at the oil-export terminal. Kyiv has not officially confirmed the strike, but this marks at least the sixth such attack on the port this year, part of a broader Ukrainian campaign to disrupt Russia's oil-export revenues.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Friday that its air defenses intercepted 553 Ukrainian drones across 18 regions, as well as over occupied Crimea and the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces killed a 29-year-old woman and her nine-year-old son in a drone attack on a house in the Sumy region on Friday morning. Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration, said four others, including the boy's father and grandmother, were hospitalized with severe burns.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks on social media, stating: "Every day, Russia uses about 220 guided aerial bombs against our frontline communities, which the aggressor's defense industry continues to produce and modify despite sanctions. Pressure is needed on every supply chain for foreign components and every enterprise working to enable strikes against lives."
The overnight exchange also prompted NATO jets to scramble and down a stray drone over Latvia, as reported by the alliance. This incident underscores the broader security implications for the Baltic region, where allied air policing missions are routinely activated. The drone's origin remains unclear, but it is believed to be Russian-linked, adding to the tensions along NATO's eastern flank.
These events come amid a series of recent incidents highlighting the war's spillover effects. Earlier this week, a Russian drone strike on a passenger train in the Odesa region killed the driver and injured dozens, illustrating the ongoing threat to civilian infrastructure. In another incident, NATO jets downed a Russian-linked drone over eastern Latvia, reflecting the alliance's heightened vigilance.
The conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians, with daily bombardments and drone attacks causing casualties and damage across the country. International efforts to pressure Russia, including sanctions and diplomatic measures, have so far failed to halt the aggression, as both sides show no signs of de-escalation.
