Russia-Ukraine war: 12 killed in Zaporizhzhia, 3 die in Sumy drone strike

Fresh Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed civilians in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy while Kyiv hit Russian fuel-linked sites. The exchanges underline a widening drone war even as a Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes into view.

In Short

• Moscow-backed officials said four children were among those killed at resorts
• Nova Poshta drivers died after a Russian drone hit a civilian facility
• Zelenskyy warned intelligence suggested Moscow could launch missiles within forty-eight hours

Fresh strikes were reported on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war on Saturday, with Moscow-installed officials saying Ukrainian attacks on holiday camps in the partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region killed 12 people, while authorities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region said a Russian drone strike killed three people there.

The latest exchange came a day after a major Russian attack near Kyiv killed at least 10 people and injured around 100 others. It also unfolded as Ukraine's drone campaign inside Russia has hit high-profile targets, stalled Russian advances, caused fuel shortages and increased pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, even as hopes of a diplomatic end to the more than four-year-old war remain dim.

Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, said four children were among the 12 people killed in the attack on the resorts. He said 19 others were injured. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the claim.

In Ukraine, Sumy regional head Oleh Hryhorov said three people were killed after a large fire broke out when a Russian drone struck a "civilian facility". He said the victims were drivers for the private Ukrainian postal and courier service Nova Poshta. Russia's defence ministry said it had attacked a "storage and launch site" for Ukrainian drones in the Sumy region.

Also in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, regional head Ivan Fedorov said a Russian drone attack late on Friday hit a shopping centre, starting a fire that spread over 500 square metres and injured several people. In his evening address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said intelligence assessments showed Russia was preparing missiles for a large attack, and that there were signs this could happen within the next 48 hours.

On the Russian side, Tyumen regional Governor Aleksandr Moor said a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire on the grounds of the Tyumen Oil Refinery in western Siberia. Writing on X on Saturday, Zelenskyy confirmed strikes on the Tyumen plant, a logistics facility in Yekaterinburg, and a fuel and lubricants warehouse in Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine's long-range drone technology has developed during the war, making it harder for Russia to fully protect its vast territory.

In Washington, a White House official said US President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy plan to meet on Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Trump's schedule had not yet been announced. Kyiv did not immediately comment, although Zelenskyy said in his Friday address that Kyiv was "preparing for a meeting with the President of the United States and his team". A memorial service in Washington for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Kyiv, is also scheduled for Tuesday.

Romania's defence ministry said on Saturday that its forces had "safely shot down" a drone that entered its airspace in an "unpopulated area" near the Ukrainian border. President Nicu Or Dan said on Facebook that the drone was shot down by a Romanian pilot flying an F-16. The interception came a day after another drone was shot down around Padina, northeast of Bucharest. Romania and other NATO members have faced repeated drone incursions linked to the war. In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded at the Black Sea port of Constanta and three more sea drones exploded outside the port, with no injuries reported. In May, a Russian drone that was part of an attack on Ukraine went off course and hit an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people.

The latest developments showed the war continuing on multiple fronts, with deadly strikes in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy, new Ukrainian attacks on Russian fuel-linked sites, a possible Trump-Zelenskyy meeting in Washington, and another drone incident over Romanian airspace.

With PTI Inputs

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