KYIV, Ukraine — Overnight attacks by Russian drones and missiles have claimed at least five lives across Ukrainian towns and cities, according to local authorities on Saturday. The relentless assault coincides with Russian forces making a gradual push into the eastern parts of the country. Reports indicate that a missile strike on an apartment building in Poltava resulted in the deaths of four individuals, while injuring another ten, as reported by Ukraine’s emergency services.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with 21 individuals having been successfully saved from the partially collapsed five-story structure, noted Volodymyr Kohut, the acting governor of Poltava region. Additionally, a 60-year-old woman lost her life when debris fell from a downed drone in the Kharkiv region, as shared by local Governor Oleh Syniehubov via social media.
This wave of bombardment occurs as Russian troops persist in their prolonged offensive to gain control of crucial strongholds in Donetsk, specifically Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar. The fighting is taking place across agricultural lands and wooded areas, impacting small rural communities along the way. In a social media message on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported, “Last night, Russia launched an attack on our cities using various types of weapons: missiles, attack drones, and aerial bombs.”
He further emphasized, “Every such act of terror proves that we need greater support in defending against Russian terror. Every air defense system, every interceptor missile, means a life saved.” The ongoing conflict, which entered its third year recently and shows no signs of abating, has resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, as stated by the United Nations.
Many residents have been evacuated from regions along the extensive 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, where Ukrainian forces are stretched thin in their efforts to stave off the larger Russian military.
Additionally, civilians continue to experience difficulties resulting from Russian attacks on the power infrastructure, which have left many without heating and running water. The missile strike on Saturday led to emergency shutdowns of the power grid in seven regions across Ukraine, including Poltava, as announced by the state energy company Ukrenergo.
In response, Ukrainian forces have also conducted strikes on Russian positions, with reports of air defenses intercepting nine drones in the Bryansk, Belgorod, and Saratov regions of Russia, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday morning.
