Eight people were killed in the western Belgorod region bordering Ukraine and the southern Astrakhan region in the past 24 hours, according to regional officials, as In Ukraine, two people were killed in Russian drone attacks on the north-eastern Sumy region and another two in the eastern Donetsk region. The strikes followed what Russia described as the “largest-scale” attack by Ukraine this year, in which at least seven people were killed, the BBC reported.

Rising Drone and Missile Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for greater international pressure on Russia after a series of “safari hunting” attacks on civilians, including medical workers, One Ukrainian medic described being chased by a Russian drone for 10 minutes before it finally flew away. “I knew that if I stopped, I would die,” she said. These attacks have increasingly targeted hospitals and ambulances, despite protections under the Geneva Conventions. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded 3,118 attacks on healthcare since the start of the invasion in February 2022, with a 30% increase in 2024 alone.

Civilian Casualties and Economic Disruption

On Saturday night, Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least seven people and injured more than 39, according to Ukrainian authorities. In the Donetsk region, two people were killed in strikes on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, where 54 trading pavilions were set ablaze at a local market. A separate drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa damaged a civilian vessel and injured four people. Moscow has also intensified attacks on Ukraine’s ports and coastline, aiming to disrupt trade and economic stability.

Reciprocal Drone Campaigns Across Borders

Ukraine has responded to Russian aggression with its own drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. In the Moscow region and southern Russia, a massive Ukrainian drone assault left three dead and four wounded, according to Russian officials. In the capital, air defenses reportedly downed 201 of 600 drones heading toward the area. Meanwhile, in Kryvyi Rig—Zelenskyy’s hometown,Russian forces launched a combined ballistic missile and drone attack, killing one person and wounding six others. Two industrial sites were struck, prompting firefighting and rescue operations. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has now lasted more than two years and sees Moscow controlling roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory.