At least four people were killed in a major attack from Russia that involved missiles and drones. This happened during one night and targeted Ukraine’s important industrial areas. The attack followed another strike on vital energy infrastructure just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was to meet US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York. The assault included 212 drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles aimed at key economic sites in 13 regions of Ukraine. This shows Russia’s ongoing plan to weaken Ukraine’s industrial output while their ground advances have mostly stalled.
Industrial Cities Hit in Southeastern and Central Regions
“The main goal of these attacks is to destroy infrastructure related to manufacturing, especially steel production, which has been specifically focused on,” said Ukrainian officials. “A missile strike on a facility belonging to Interpipe, Ukraine’s largest pipe producer, in Dnipro resulted in four deaths and injuries to seven others.”
There were also reports of damage to businesses in Pavlohrad and Kryvyi Rih, where President Zelensky is from.
- “Attacks on energy facilities in central and northern regions caused blackouts, leaving nearly 100,000 people without power in Chernihiv region,” officials reported. “One of Ukraine’s key infrastructure projects by state-owned energy company Naftogaz was also attacked. Five ballistic missiles hit technology facilities at an oil and gas site in Poltava region, causing significant damage.”
- “We can now say for sure that Russia is intentionally targeting businesses, farms, warehouses, railways, energy facilities, and homes as part of their aim to weaken and ultimately break down our economy.”
- “On Saturday night, our Ukrainian aviation targeted Russian energy production facilities with long-range drones,” said Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi. Russian authorities confirmed that Ukrainian long-range drones hit two refineries—first one over 1,300 km (808 miles) inside Russian territory in Ufa, and then another in Samara region.
They also reported that their air defense units shot down 297 Ukrainian drones overnight across different areas of the country.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s leader is set to meet with US President Donald Trump in New York this weekend. President Zelensky will discuss ongoing peace proposals and key issues, including international military support and efforts to limit attacks on energy infrastructure. Both sides had agreed on these plans before, but they fell apart due to ongoing strikes on fuel depots and power stations.