NAIROBI, Kenya— At least six people have been killed in a new wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, with the eastern city of Dnipro bearing the brunt of the attacks, officials confirmed Saturday.
The renewed bombardment underscores the intensifying toll of the war that began in February 2022, with civilians continuing to pay the heaviest price.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s tactics remain consistent—relying on a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic weapons.
“Most of the targets are ordinary infrastructure in cities,” Zelensky said, pointing to widespread damage to residential buildings, energy facilities, and businesses.
Dnipro Under Fire as Residential Areas Targeted
The deadliest strikes were recorded in Dnipro, where attacks on residential buildings left multiple casualties.
According to regional officials, four people were killed and 27 others injured after a missile struck an apartment block overnight. A subsequent strike on the same neighbourhood claimed another life and left seven more wounded.
Local authorities said the repeated targeting of the same area highlighted the scale and persistence of the assault. The city’s deputy mayor narrowly escaped death in one of the attacks.
Elsewhere, in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian drone strike hit a civilian minibus, killing one person and injuring four others.
Russia’s defence ministry, however, maintained that it had launched a “massive strike” targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure, continuing to deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Regional Tensions Rise as Drone Crash Hits Romania
The fallout from the attacks extended beyond Ukraine’s borders after a drone crashed in Romania, a NATO and EU member state.
Authorities evacuated more than 200 people as a precaution, raising fresh concerns about the risk of the conflict spilling into neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has also intensified retaliatory strikes inside Russia. Officials in regions such as Kursk and Belgorod reported casualties from Ukrainian drone attacks, while a rare strike hit a residential building in Yekaterinburg—deep inside Russian territory.
Zelensky Pushes for Tougher EU Action
Amid the escalating violence, Zelensky is urging stronger action from European allies, including tougher sanctions and enhanced air defence systems.
His appeal comes shortly after the European Union approved a new sanctions package targeting Russia’s banking sector, along with a 90-billion-euro financial support package for Ukraine.
The sanctions had been delayed for months due to opposition from Viktor Orban, whose recent electoral defeat helped break the deadlock.
Zelensky emphasized that continued attacks on civilian areas should serve as a wake-up call.
“Every such strike should remind our partners that the situation requires immediate and firm action,” he said.
The latest strikes highlight a war that shows no signs of slowing, even as diplomatic efforts stall and global attention shifts to other conflicts.
With civilian infrastructure increasingly under fire and regional tensions rising, pressure is mounting on international allies to act more decisively—before the conflict escalates further beyond Ukraine’s borders.
