Ukrainian drone strikes overnight left at least three people dead and two others injured in multiple regions of western Russia, regional governors reported on Saturday.
In the Penza region, Governor Oleg Melnichenko confirmed that a woman was killed and two people sustained injuries following a drone attack on an industrial enterprise. He noted that emergency services were deployed to contain the damage.
In the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev announced that an elderly man died after debris from a downed drone caused a fire that engulfed his home.
Another fatality occurred in the Rostov region, where acting Governor Yuri Sliusar said a security guard lost his life after a drone strike ignited a fire at an industrial facility. “The military repelled a massive air attack during the night, intercepting drones over seven districts,” Sliusar added in a statement.
Russia’s Defence Ministry reported that air defence systems destroyed 112 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions from Friday night to Saturday morning, with 34 intercepted over the Rostov region alone.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Sergiy Lysak said overnight Russian drone strikes wounded three people. Residential buildings, cars, and other infrastructure sustained damage in the attack.
The renewed escalation comes as Russian forces claim advances in Dnipropetrovsk, including the capture of two villages this month, according to analysis by the US-based Institute for the Study of War. Kyiv has denied any Russian military presence in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Friday that Moscow’s demands for ending the war remain “unchanged,” including Ukraine’s withdrawal from certain territories and abandoning its NATO membership aspirations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered by calling for direct talks, stating, “Only Putin can end this war. The United States has proposed a meeting, and Ukraine supports it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness.”
