Russian Drone Attacks on Ukraine
Russian drones struck a Ukrainian station on Saturday, resulting in one death and many injuries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that around 30 individuals were hurt in this “savage” attack on Shostka, a city in the Sumy region, which lies about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Russian border. Local officials later confirmed the death of a 71-year-old man discovered in a damaged train carriage.
According to Olexi Kleba, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister, the swift drone strikes targeted two passenger trains in succession—first local commuter services, then another linked to Kyiv. He mentioned that the second drone was intercepted while rescue efforts were in progress.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the head of the national railway operator in Ukraine, denounced the attack as a “vulgar act” aimed at crippling communication with frontline areas. Ukrainian top diplomat Andrii Melnyk referred to the tactic as one of the most brutal, describing it as a “double tap,” where the second strike targets rescuers and evacuees.
Both Zelensky and local governor Oleh Hryhorov shared images they claimed depicted the aftermath of the attack, showing a burning passenger car. Hryhorov also noted that the drone strike disrupted the power supply to Shostka, a city that had a population of over 70,000 before the conflict.
In another incident in the Sumy area, drones attacked fishing boats on a nearby lake, resulting in the death of a 63-year-old man and injuries to a 65-year-old companion, as reported by local prosecutors on Saturday.
Recently, Moscow has intensified airstrikes on Ukrainian rail systems, crucial for military transport, launching attacks almost daily over the past two months. This follows a pattern from last year, as the Kremlin has ramped up assaults on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
On Saturday night, more Russian drones and missiles targeted the Ukrainian power grid, according to a statement from the Ukrainian energy company. The regional operator Chernichbobrenergo reported that a strike on an energy facility near Chernichiv resulted in a blackout affecting around 50,000 households.
The attack reportedly concentrated on a major natural gas facility operated by Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz Group. Naftgas’s CEO Serhii Koretzky remarked that the strike lacked military justification, while Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko accused Moscow of terrorizing civilians. Meanwhile, Moscow claimed that the facility was targeted to bolster Kyiv’s war efforts.
Ukrainian forces reported that overnight, Russia launched 109 drones and three ballistic missiles, with 73 drones reportedly intercepted before reaching their targets.
Ukrainian forces also claimed to have hit one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, causing an explosion at the Kyosi refinery near St. Petersburg, situated over 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from Ukraine. This refinery, run by Surgutneftegas, is significant, producing around 17.7 million tons of crude oil annually.
Videos circulating on Telegram from residents near Kirishi show drone-like objects lighting up the night sky. Local Governor Alexander Drosdenko reported that seven drones were shot down near Kirishi, although details on the damage remained unclear.
Russia remains the world’s second-largest oil exporter, yet it has started suspending gasoline exports due to seasonal demand increases and ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes causing supply shortages.
On the evening of Saturday, Russian forces reported firing 117 drones at Ukraine during the night, with at least 37 launched that day. In one incident, civilians were injured in both Ukraine and the adjacent Belgorod region as a result of a drone striking a commercial facility.
In eastern Ukraine, late reports indicated that Russian strikes resulted in the death of French photojournalist Antoni Larikan, 37, near Durzkivka in the Donetsk region, according to a Facebook post from the fourth separate mechanized brigade. Another Ukrainian photographer, Hryhory Ivanchenko, was also injured in the attack.
Lalikan, recognized for his work featured in various French and international media, was nominated for the RSF Press Photography Award in 2024. He became the 14th journalist and the fourth French national to lose their life covering the ongoing conflict.
