Additional Coverage:
- Russian strike on the Kyiv region kills 4 and wounds at least 15, with peace talks stalled (nbcnews.com)
Kyiv Region Targeted in Overnight Attacks, Four Dead, 15 Wounded
KYIV, Ukraine – A barrage of missiles and drones struck the Kyiv region overnight into Saturday, leaving at least four people dead and 15 wounded, according to the head of the Ukrainian capital’s regional administration.
Mykola Kalashnyk reported Saturday that three of the injured are in critical condition, with two currently undergoing surgery. The coordinated attack impacted four districts, causing damage to residential buildings, educational institutions, businesses, and vital infrastructure, Kalashnyk detailed in a social media update.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the primary objective of the overnight strikes was “the energy infrastructure of the Kyiv region.” He indicated that Russia launched approximately 430 drones of various types and 68 missiles during the night.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Saturday that its nighttime operations targeted energy and industrial facilities supporting Ukraine’s armed forces, as well as military airfields.
These attacks occurred days after the U.S. postponed scheduled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, citing the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, Russia has expressed strong condemnation but has not taken direct action to support its ally, Iran. This lack of intervention, following the 2024 ouster of former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January, underscores the limitations of Moscow’s influence. However, the Kremlin anticipates benefiting from the Mideast conflict.
Russia is already seeing increased profits from a surge in global energy prices and may hope that the Middle East war will divert international attention from Ukraine and deplete Western military stockpiles.
Zelenskyy urged Kyiv’s Western partners on Saturday to dedicate “one hundred percent attention” to the urgent need for increased production of air defense missiles.
“Russia will try to exploit the war in the Middle East to cause even greater destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine,” he warned in a social media post.
“We must be fully aware of the real level of the threat and prepare accordingly, namely: in Europe, we need to develop the production of air defense missiles – especially those capable of countering ballistic threats – as well as all other systems necessary to truly protect lives,” he emphasized.
Kyiv is also awaiting White House approval for a significant drone production agreement proposed by Ukraine last year, Zelenskyy noted on Thursday, as nations globally scramble to modernize their air defenses following the perceived shortcomings exposed by the Iran conflict.
Also on Thursday, Zelenskyy criticized the 30-day U.S. waiver on Russian oil sanctions amidst the Middle East war, calling it “not the right decision” and asserting it would not help halt Russia’s more than four-year invasion of Ukraine.
“This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war,” Zelenskyy stated. “This certainly does not help peace.”
Overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, according to local Russian officials.
Krasnodar authorities reported that three people were injured in an attack on Port Kavkaz, a port across from Crimea used for shipping liquefied natural gas and grains. A service vessel and pier infrastructure sustained damage, they stated in a social media post. One individual was hospitalized, they added in a subsequent post.
Falling drone debris also ignited a fire at the region’s Afipsky oil refinery, authorities reported in a separate Telegram post. They confirmed no injuries but did not immediately provide details on the extent of the damage.
Earlier this week, both Russian and Ukrainian officials claimed progress on the front lines, with Ukraine asserting it pushed back Moscow’s forces in various locations and the Kremlin maintaining that Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is advancing.