At least five people have been killed and more than a dozen wounded in a fresh wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian authorities reported on Tuesday. The strikes hit the capital Kyiv, the southern city of Kherson, the Zaporizhzhia region, and the eastern town of Sloviansk, underscoring the continued intensity of Moscow's aerial campaign.
In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that at least 12 people had been injured in strikes on the capital since the morning, with one critically wounded person later dying in hospital. Kyiv police reported damage to warehouses, a business centre, and a fast-food restaurant, which Ukrainian media identified as a McDonald's outlet. The attack on the capital came as part of a broader overnight barrage in which Russia launched 200 drones at Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian armed forces, who said 187 were intercepted.
In the southern city of Kherson, a 74-year-old woman was killed by a Russian drone strike, announced Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, on Telegram. Two men, aged 38 and 60, were also wounded in a drone attack on the region on Tuesday morning, local authorities said.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, acting head Mykhailo Semkin reported early on Tuesday that another man had been killed and a woman injured after an attack that reportedly targeted the power grid. Two other people were killed and one injured in strikes on Sloviansk in the eastern Donetsk region, according to local officials.
Ukrainian counteroffensive near Lyman
The attacks come as a Ukrainian unit's commander announced that his forces had launched a counteroffensive against Russian troops near the eastern city of Lyman. Lyman is one of the few cities in Donetsk Oblast that has not been occupied by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, but Russian troops have been attempting to encircle it for months. Military analysts say that capturing Lyman would facilitate Russia's advance towards the Ukrainian strongholds of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
The counteroffensive is part of Ukraine's broader strategy to disrupt Russian logistics and reclaim territory in the east, even as Moscow continues its relentless drone and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure. The situation remains fluid, with heavy fighting reported along the front lines.
In a separate development, the Ukrainian military reported striking Russia's Syzran oil refinery and the Atlant Aero facility in the city of Taganrog, which reportedly specialises in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles and components. The operation, carried out by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces including its deep strike units, hit the refinery's primary crude oil distillation unit and tank farm, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.
These long-range strikes are part of Ukraine's campaign to degrade Russia's military-industrial capacity and reduce the resources available for its ongoing assault. The attacks on Russian soil have become a regular feature of the conflict, with Kyiv seeking to bring the war home to Russian citizens and decision-makers.
The renewed violence comes amid diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire, with recent claims of a pause in energy strikes having been met with scepticism. Meanwhile, European leaders have warned that the war could drag on for years, with Romania's president cautioning that the conflict may last another two years. The human toll continues to mount, with civilian casualties reported daily across Ukraine.
As the war enters its fourth year, the resilience of Ukrainian cities and the determination of its military remain evident, but the cost in lives and infrastructure is staggering. The international community, particularly within the European Union, continues to provide military and humanitarian aid, though debates over the scope and duration of support persist.
