Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine killed at least seven people overnight, including five in the city of Dnipro, Ukrainian local authorities have reported.
Strikes Cause Widespread Damage
At least 34 people suffered injuries in the attacks, which persisted throughout the night, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration. Bodies of four victims were recovered from the debris of a demolished house, with search operations continuing into Saturday morning.
"The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night," Hanzha wrote on Telegram. Fires erupted across the city, partially destroying several apartment blocks, businesses, and a private residence.
In a separate incident on Saturday afternoon, another person was killed in the same residential area previously struck, Hanzha reported. Odesa and Kharkiv also faced drone attacks, where at least three individuals were injured.
Ukraine Repels Majority of Drones
Ukrainian authorities stated they repelled most of the over 600 Russian drones, marking the largest assault in recent days. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on social media: "The Russians’ tactics have not changed: strike drones, cruise missiles and a significant amount of ballistics. Most of the targets are ordinary infrastructure in cities. Residential buildings, energy, and enterprises have been damaged."
Ukraine conducted some of its longest-range drone strikes deep into Russian territory. In Russia's Belgorod border region, a woman was killed and a man seriously injured by a drone strike.
Context of Attacks
The overnight attacks followed a prisoner swap on Friday, where Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 service members. Periodic prisoner exchanges have been a condition of US-brokered negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, though talks have failed to make progress on key issues to end Russia's invasion.
