Strikes kill 19 in Russia and Ukraine amid intensified long-range attacks

In Russia, Ukrainian drones killed five people in the Rostov region, with additional fatalities in the Belgorod, Kursk, and Moscow regions, and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Moscow's regional governor Andrey Vorobyov described the assault as one of the most massive drone attacks recently, with Russia's defense ministry intercepting 822 drones overnight. In Ukraine, a barrage of Russian drones and missiles killed two people and wounded 14 at ArcelorMittal's steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown, damaging core production facilities.

Another strike in Kryvyi Rih later killed one person. Other regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Donetsk, also reported fatalities. A popular outdoor book market in Kyiv was also struck.

President Zelensky stated that Russian forces are targeting civilian infrastructure with ballistic missiles, noting that Ukrainian cities had been hit by over 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles over the past week, renewing his appeal for more air defense. He also highlighted that North Korean ballistic missiles destroying infrastructure in Europe means European interceptors should not remain in storage. Countries bordering the conflict have experienced spillover, with a Spanish F-18 jet shooting down a drone in Romania