At least five civilians were killed and 10 others injured in the Donetsk and Kherson oblasts of Ukraine in Russian shelling on the cities, officials said Saturday.
According to authorities, in Donetsk Oblast, three of the victims were reported in the settlements of Andriivka, Novohryhorivka, and Myrnohrad.
Seven people were injured in the oblast —two in Andriivka, two in Novohryhorivka, two in Pokrovsk, and one in Rivne—while two people were killed and three injured in Kherson Oblast, officials said.
Russian military reportedly targeted residential areas and social and key infrastructure in several oblast communities, according to the authorities. Six homes and five apartment complexes sustained damage. Russian strikes also hit a petrol station and garage, leaving several cars damaged.
The long-range Russian attacks across Ukrainian cities come as Moscow’s push to capture more of its neighbour’s land intensified with a relentless bombing campaign.
Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. Around 550 drones and missiles were launched across Ukraine during the night, the country’s air force said.
Russia’s largest missile and drone barrage on Kyiv
Friday’s waves of drones and missiles that targeted Kyiv overnight are yet again the latest and largest aerial assault since Russia’s invasion began more than three years ago, Ukrainian officials said Friday.
The seven-hour bombardment of Kyiv caused severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught, authorities said. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets.
Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said that her home was destroyed in the attack.
“We were all in the (basement) shelter because it was so loud; staying home would have been suicidal,” she told The Associated Press. “We went down 10 minutes before, and then there was a loud explosion, and the lights went out in the shelter; people were panicking.”
Five ambulances were damaged while responding to calls, officials said, and emergency services removed more than 300 tons of rubble.
“It was a harsh, sleepless night,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Hours after the barrage killed two people and wounded at least 26 others, including a child, Zelenskyy said he had a “very important and productive” phone call with US President Donald Trump.
It came amid concern over the Trump administration’s pause of shipment of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles.
The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defences might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader US.-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksyy.
When reporters questioned Trump about the call on Friday night, he responded, “We had a very good call, I think.”
In response to a question about how to put an end to the bloodshed, Trump answered, “I don’t know, I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen.”.
Russian airports suspend flights
Meanwhile, Russia’s Rosaviatsia aviation authority said on 6 July that several Russian airports had suspended flights because of safety concerns over Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian cities.
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that during the course of the night between 5 July and 6 July, it had intercepted 120 drones on Russian soil. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the report.
A component of Ukraine’s larger plan to sabotage Russia’s logistics well beyond the front line is Kyiv’s drone program, which has been increasingly interfering with civilian air travel in Russia.
On Saturday, Ukraine claimed to have struck a Russian airbase, saying it hit a glide bomb store and a trainer military aircraft.
“This airfield is the home base of enemy Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM aircraft,” Ukraine’s statement said.
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