A large-scale overnight Russian assault on central and southeastern Ukraine has left at least one civilian dead and dozens more injured, Ukrainian officials reported on Saturday. The attacks caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, and key infrastructure across multiple cities, even as Kyiv retaliated by striking Russian oil refineries.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that Zaporizhia was hit by “massive overnight strikes.” Regional military administration chief Ivan Fedorov said at least one person was killed and 28 others wounded, including several children. He added that residential buildings, cafes, service stations, and industrial facilities were among the many sites damaged in the assault.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia unleashed one of its most extensive overnight barrages to date, launching 537 drones alongside 45 missiles in a coordinated strike across multiple regions. Officials reported that Ukrainian air defenses achieved an impressive success rate, shooting down 510 drones and 38 missiles
Despite these efforts, the sheer volume of the assault meant that some weapons still broke through. At least five missiles and 24 drones managed to hit their intended targets, striking seven different locations across the country. These impacts caused significant destruction to both civilian and industrial sites, underscoring the challenges Ukraine faces in fully neutralizing large-scale Russian offensives.
Military analysts note that while Ukraine’s air-defense systems—bolstered by Western-supplied technology—continue to demonstrate high efficiency, Russia’s strategy appears designed to overwhelm those defenses through saturation. By deploying hundreds of drones at once, often in combination with missile strikes, Moscow forces Ukrainian units to expend valuable interceptor munitions at an unsustainable pace, testing the resilience of the country’s defense network.
The central Dnipropetrovsk region also came under heavy fire, with governor Serhiy Lysak warning residents to seek shelter as explosions rang out in the cities of Dnipro and Pavlohrad. Since the outbreak of the war in February 2022, Dnipropetrovsk had largely remained on the periphery of the most violent clashes, serving as a comparatively safer area compared to Ukraine’s embattled eastern frontlines. That sense of relative security has now been shaken, as Kyiv confirmed that Russian forces have recently pushed into the region. This development not only signals a dangerous escalation of hostilities but also raises concerns about the potential spread of fighting into territories that had previously been spared the brunt of the conflict, putting at risk both military security and the safety of civilians.
Although Moscow has formally declared sovereignty over Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Crimea, it has not made territorial claims on Dnipropetrovsk. Nevertheless, on Saturday, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, asserted that Russian troops were continuing relentless offensives across the front line. He asserted that Russia now controls nearly all of Luhansk (99.7%), most of Donetsk (79%), and significant parts of Zaporizhia (74%) and Kherson (76%). His remarks, published by Zvezda, the Defense Ministry’s official outlet, emphasized Moscow’s focus on consolidating territorial gains.
At the same time, Ukraine announced it had carried out a series of precision strikes against Russia’s critical energy infrastructure, marking another escalation in its campaign to weaken Moscow’s war machine. According to Ukrainian officials, the attacks triggered multiple explosions and large fires at the Krasnodar oil refinery in southern Russia, one of the country’s key facilities for fuel production and supply.
Yet another blaze was reported near the Syzran refinery in the Samara region, a crucial component of Russia’s oil infrastructure. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, such strikes have the potential to disrupt fuel distribution for both civilian use and Russia’s military operations. Military analysts suggest that by targeting refineries deep inside Russian territory, Ukraine aims to hit not only Moscow’s logistical capabilities but also its economic backbone, conveying a strong message that the the consequences of the war have now extended past the battlefield. These attacks, which Kyiv has steadily intensified in recent months, are part of a broader strategy to strain Russia’s resources and undermine its ability to sustain prolonged offensives.
Kyiv grapples with devastating strike.
The fresh wave of strikes followed a deadly Russian barrage on Kyiv just two days earlier, one of the most destructive attacks on the capital since the war began. Officials stated that as many as 25 people were killed, among them 22 residents of an apartment building in the Darnytskyi district. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the attack, which also affected the offices of the European Union and the British Council, marked the second-largest strike on Kyiv since February 2022.
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of timing its offensive to coincide with preparations for an upcoming summit of world leaders. In a statement posted on X, he argued that only strong international action could shift the balance: “The path to reviving any chance for diplomacy lies in imposing strict measures on everyone financing the Russian military, along with strong sanctions on Moscow—particularly targeting its banking and energy sectors.”
At the same time, EU foreign policy head Kaja Kallas reiterated the bloc’s steadfast stance on Russia’s frozen assets. Addressing a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen, she emphasized that returning the seized assets to Moscow is unthinkable under the current circumstances. Kallas noted that such a discussion could only take place if Russia first agreed to compensate for the extensive damage and losses caused by its invasion of Ukraine. Her comments highlighted the EU’s commitment to holding Moscow financially accountable and signaled to member states and international partners that economic pressure will continue to be a key instrument in countering Russian aggression.
Kyiv has persistently sought stronger international security assurances. Zelenskyy urged allies to fast-track talks on “NATO-like” commitments to safeguard Ukraine, noting that EU defense ministers recently pledged to provide military training inside Ukraine itself if a truce were to be reached. He also expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump could take part in the upcoming talks with European leaders.
Amid the devastation of fresh Russian strikes, Ukraine was hit by a separate and deeply unsettling incident on its own soil. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that former parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy had been killed in the western city of Lviv, an area that, until recently, was regarded as a relatively secure refuge, distant from the war’s front lines.
According to Zelenskyy, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko provided him with the first details surrounding what he called a “horrific murder.” Although the details surrounding Parubiy’s death are still uncertain, Ukrainian authorities have initiated a wide-scale manhunt to track down and capture the assailant.
The killing of Parubiy, a prominent political figure who once held one of the highest offices in Ukraine’s legislature, has sent shockwaves through the nation’s political establishment. Analysts suggest the incident could further heighten tensions and fears of instability, especially given that it occurred during a period of relentless Russian attacks and mounting civilian casualties.
For countless Ukrainians, the incident deepens a sense of sorrow and unease, compounding the hardships of an already painful and turbulent chapter in the nation’s struggle.