The night was difficult for Ukraine as a Russian attack involving drones resulted in the death of seven people and injured at least 20 others. Two additional fatalities were reported in the northern part of the country. In the Sevtsenkovsky district, located in the western part of Kyiv, “an entire section of a multi-story apartment building was destroyed.” So far, it has been confirmed that four individuals lost their lives, while rescuers assisted ten injured victims, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko via Telegram. He spoke about “massive missile and drone bombings” against Kyiv and its surrounding areas during the night.
Klymenko condemned strikes against residential areas, hospitals, and sports facilities by Russian forces, which showed “no respect for civilian infrastructure.” The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, stated that the death toll from this strike reached six, noting that rescue operations were ongoing. Another person was killed in Bela Tserkva, a suburb south of Kyiv, with approximately 15 others injured, according to Klymenko.
Many people were injured in the suburb of Sviatoshyn near a metro station used as a shelter, noted Timur Tkachenko, head of the military administration in Kyiv. In northern Ukraine, Chernihiv witnessed two deaths and ten injuries from a drone attack late Sunday evening, according to Vyacheslav Chaus, head of local authorities.
Ukrainian cities continue to be nightly targets of Russian strikes, while peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. At least 28 people died and over 130 were injured in Kyiv on the night of June 16-17 due to a Russian attack involving more than 440 drones and 32 missiles, according to Ukrainian officials. Meanwhile, an attack by Ukrainian drones in the Rostov region of southern Russia caused a fire at an industrial facility in the town of Kamensk, reported regional governor Yuri Siluyanov via Telegram.
Oleksandr Syrsky, head of the Ukrainian army, assured Saturday that Ukraine will intensify attacks against Russian military targets deep inside Russia. Back in August 2024, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise attack on the Russian border region of Kursk, capturing hundreds of square kilometers before being pushed back in the spring. Syrsky emphasized that Ukraine still controls 90 square kilometers in Kursk.
Moscow currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukraine and has already announced the annexation of four partially controlled regions, in addition to Crimea, seized in 2014. Simultaneously, Kyiv expressed support yesterday for U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iranian nuclear installations, viewing them as a consequence of Iran’s “aggressive actions.” Ukrainian diplomacy also accused Iran of being a “complicit” partner in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, providing “military support,” particularly drones.