Major overnight attacks on Russia, Ukraine leave 3 dead
- Moscow claims it downed more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions; Kyiv claims it shot down 3 Russian missiles, 96 out of 113 drones
Loading…
Loading…
- Moscow claims it downed more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions; Kyiv claims it shot down 3 Russian missiles, 96 out of 113 drones
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Overnight strikes killed one person in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and two in Russia’s Samara region, officials said Friday, as both countries reported large-scale aerial attacks.
The Kyiv City Military Administration said on Telegram Friday that the Ukrainian capital has been targeted with ballistic missiles and drones since Thursday evening, killing one person and injuring another.
Fires broke out in the Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts but were later extinguished, it said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said the “massive” overnight attack also affected the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Poltava, Donetsk and Volyn regions.
“The enemy’s primary target was the energy sector,” he said, adding that specialists were working to restore electricity supplies.
Railway facilities were also targeted, he said.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down three cruise missiles and 96 of 113 Russian drones. It also reported launches of ballistic missiles from Russia’s Voronezh, Kursk and Bryansk regions.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed a “massive” strike, saying it targeted Ukrainian defense industry enterprises and energy facilities supporting them in the capital, as well as the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
It also claimed strikes on port infrastructure and vessels used “in the interest” of Ukraine’s armed forces.
- Strikes in Russia
Russia’s Defense Ministry separately said air defenses intercepted 1,043 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions overnight.
Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said two people were killed and others injured in his region.
He accused Ukraine of launching a “record number” of drones against civilian infrastructure but did not identify the sites hit in a statement on Russian social media platform Max.
Ukrainian defense company Fire Point claimed Ukrainian forces struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Samara, reporting multiple hits at the facility.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said 862 drones headed toward the Moscow region on Thursday evening and overnight were shot down by air defenses.
Independent verification of Russia and Ukraine’s claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.
Moscow and Kyiv have intensified strikes in recent months, targeting each other's logistics centers, ports, and energy infrastructure.
Both countries deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, maintaining that strikes are directed at military targets or facilities linked to military activities only.
The reported refinery strike came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine had informally paused attacks on Russian refineries following pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The unofficial pause reportedly began early last week, according to the newspaper. Ukraine did not officially announce a halt to energy attacks.
Burç Eruygur