Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least two civilians across Ukraine on Sunday, while authorities installed by Moscow said a Ukrainian drone strike killed four people in the Russian occupied city of Horlivka, as both sides intensified long range attacks despite continued diplomatic efforts to end the war.
The latest exchanges came after Ukraine expanded its campaign of long range drone strikes inside Russia, targeting military and energy infrastructure in attacks that have slowed some Russian military operations and increased pressure on the Kremlin.
In Kyiv, Russian ballistic missiles struck before dawn, triggering explosions across the capital and setting several fires.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said falling debris ignited a blaze in a residential tower block near the city center. Fires also broke out in other buildings, vehicles and parking areas.
Three civilians were injured, with one taken to hospital, Klitschko said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strike targeted facilities linked to Ukraine’s drone production.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned on Friday that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a major missile assault within 48 hours.
Elsewhere, Russian attacks continued across several regions.
A Russian drone strike killed one person and wounded at least six others, including two children, in Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian guided bomb destroyed a residential property, killing a 67 year old man and injuring at least six others, regional officials said.
Emergency crews later rescued a 22 year old man from the rubble after several hours. He was hospitalized.
A separate drone strike damaged an apartment building in the city, injuring a 53 year old woman and a 52 year old man, authorities said.
In the northeastern Sumy region, Russian aircraft dropped at least seven guided bombs on civilian areas, injuring five people and damaging homes, vehicles and infrastructure.
Officials said none of the injuries appeared life threatening.
Russian occupied authorities in eastern Ukraine said a Ukrainian drone strike killed four civilians in Horlivka.
Ivan Prikhodko, the Russian appointed mayor of the city, said the area had been under attack since early Sunday.
The claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also said its air defenses destroyed 133 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory, the Black Sea and Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on long range drone strikes to hit military facilities, fuel depots and logistics centers deep inside Russia as it seeks to disrupt Moscow’s war effort.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin used Russia’s annual Navy Day to accuse Western nations of attempting to seize Russian linked oil tankers operating under sanctions.
“We must act carefully in line with international maritime law but decisively, just as we must fight piracy and pirates,” Putin said.
Western governments have accused Moscow of using a so-called shadow fleet of aging vessels sailing under foreign flags to bypass sanctions imposed after Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia canceled its traditional Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg for the second consecutive year, following security concerns linked to Ukrainian attacks on military targets.
Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, said it intercepted another suspected Russian drone after it entered Romanian airspace over the Black Sea.
President Nicușor Dan described the repeated incursions as “inadmissible and intolerable.”
NATO said Romanian F16 fighter jets operating under the alliance’s command intercepted and destroyed the drone.
Romania has reported several drone incursions since Russia’s full scale invasion began in February 2022.
What we know so far
- Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least two civilians in Ukraine.
- Three people were injured after ballistic missiles struck Kyiv.
- One person was killed in Kharkiv and another in Zaporizhzhia.
- Russian installed officials said four civilians were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on occupied Horlivka.
- Russia said it intercepted 133 Ukrainian drones overnight.
- Romania shot down another suspected Russian drone over the Black Sea.
What authorities are saying
Ukrainian officials said Russia continues to target civilian areas with missiles, drones and guided bombs despite repeated international calls for restraint.
Russia maintained that its strike on Kyiv targeted facilities connected to Ukraine’s drone production.
Romanian and NATO officials condemned repeated violations of Romanian airspace and pledged continued monitoring along the alliance’s eastern border.
Why this matters
The latest wave of attacks highlights the growing reliance on long range missile and drone warfare by both Russia and Ukraine. While frontline battles continue, each side is increasingly targeting military infrastructure far behind enemy lines, expanding the conflict’s geographic reach.
The repeated drone incursions into Romanian airspace also underscore the risks facing neighboring NATO countries, raising concerns about accidental escalation beyond Ukraine’s borders.
At the same time, Ukraine’s warnings of dwindling air defense missile supplies present an additional challenge as Russia increases the frequency of ballistic missile strikes against major cities.
What happens next
Military operations are expected to continue as Ukraine strengthens defenses against further missile attacks while maintaining its drone campaign inside Russia.
International partners are likely to face renewed pressure to accelerate deliveries of air defense systems and interceptor missiles as Kyiv seeks to protect critical infrastructure and civilian populations from intensified Russian bombardment.
Story sources: The Associated Press (AP); Kyiv Post.
