Russian forces killed at least six people and wounded dozens more across Ukraine in the space of 24 hours, according to regional authorities, as Moscow pressed a multi-front campaign of drone and missile strikes from the Sumy region in the north to Kherson in the south.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two women died and seven people were injured, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Saturday morning. He reported 86 separate instances of damage to infrastructure, homes and vehicles. In Donetsk, governor Vadym Filashkin said two people were killed and eight wounded, with 1,121 residents evacuated from frontline areas. Oleksandr Prokudin, who heads the Kherson Regional Military Administration, confirmed one death and three injuries there, adding that strikes had hit critical and social infrastructure as well as residential streets, damaging five private homes and destroying civilian vehicles.
A 69-year-old man was killed in a drone attack on the Sumy region, local officials said, while a guided aerial bomb wounded ten more people in the same area. Overnight strikes on Kyiv injured five, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Air defences down 134 drones as strikes hit 19 locations
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 173 attack drones overnight. By 7:30 am, air defence units had shot down or neutralised 134 of the Shahed, Gerber and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles, with strikes recorded at 19 locations across the country.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia had also carried out a double-tap strike on a logistics facility serving the McDonald's fast-food chain. "Relentless attacks disrupt Ukrainians' daily lives, damage businesses, threaten jobs, and undermine international investment," he wrote on social media, alongside video footage appearing to show the aftermath.
The strikes come as European capitals weigh further military support for Kyiv. EU member states recently moved to unblock a €6.6 billion aid package after Hungary lifted its veto, while discussions continue over air-defence supplies including Patriot systems.
Putin denies preparing for conflict with Europe
Speaking to reporters in Saint Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was not preparing for hostilities with Europe, despite repeated warnings from European officials about suspected Russian hybrid operations, sabotage and airspace violations.
"We are not preparing for any kind of hostilities with Europe," Putin said. "There is no real motive to escalate the situation with Europe, no matter what anyone says, no matter who says it, including in the Baltic states."
His remarks follow a series of incidents that have unsettled northern and eastern Europe, from Finnish and Swedish jets intercepting Russian aircraft over the Gulf of Finland to warnings about a Russian ghost fleet in the Mediterranean capable of launching drone strikes on European territory. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said Putin is in a "bad place" as the alliance braces for further hybrid threats.
European intelligence agencies have also flagged Russian recruitment drives targeting citizens of neighbouring states, including Belarusians drawn into the war in Ukraine.
For now, the immediate toll is borne by Ukrainian civilians. In Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Sumy, the pattern of the past 24 hours — drone swarms, guided bombs, damaged homes and disrupted services — reflects a war that shows no sign of easing, whatever is said in Saint Petersburg.
