Russia launched 111 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine, according to authorities.
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Ukrainian authorities have reported that a wave of Russian overnight drone strikes from Saturday into Sunday has killed two people in the eastern city of Kharkiv and wounded 35 others.
Russia launched a total of 111 drones and decoy drones over Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 65 of the drones, while 35 went off radar likely due to electronic jamming.
The two victims in Kharkiv, which has been subject to almost daily attacks, were a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman, said Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov.
A shopping centre, apartment blocks and a military hospital were hit in the attacks. Ukraine’s General Staff denounced the strikes from Russia as "deliberate, targeted shelling," stating that injured soldiers were among the casualties.
Zelenskyy's overnight address
According to Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximise pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks.
During an overnight address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, “Today, I spoke with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi about the situation on the front lines, including areas where our forces are operating on Russian territory. We are maintaining active operations that prevent the occupier from advancing into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.”
Russia claims additional settlement seizure
On Sunday, Russia claimed its air defence systems had shot down six Ukrainian drones. A day earlier, Russia released a statement claiming to have seized settlements in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, as well as the small border village of Veselovka in the Sumy region.
The Russian Defence Ministry also reported that Ukrainian drones had repeatedly targeted energy infrastructure in Russia's Belgorod region over the previous day, damaging multiple transformers, severing high-voltage lines and leaving more than 9,000 households without power. Ukraine has yet to respond to the claim.
The ministry had previously accused Ukraine of using drones and other weapons to attack Russian energy facilities. Ukraine dismissed the Russian Defence Ministry’s statement as fabricated.