Two people died at the Starokozache border crossing between Moldova and Ukraine following an overnight attack, with the crossing later shut down, reports say. Images from the scene show several burnt-out cars amid the debris. The attack also injured three others, and a Moldovan driver was reported injured, according to the country’s foreign ministry.

Attack in Kyiv and Russian Port

In Kyiv, a Russian drone hit a nine-storey residential building, killing one woman and injuring 14 people, including two children, officials say. Meanwhile, in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, four people, including a child, were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to local officials. Another Ukrainian drone attack hit an industrial facility in the Arctic city of Novy Urengoy, nearly 3,000km from Ukraine.

Escalation and Diplomatic Calls

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed calls for international support, stating that “the aggression must be stopped here and now before it spreads any further.” The Starokozache crossing, located about 500km south of Kyiv, was closed after the attack. The incident exposes the increasing use of long-range drone strikes by both sides, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Moldova has become increasingly entangled in the conflict. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan stated that 17 drones struck Moldovan territory in August alone—more than in the entire previous year. Tofan added on social media, “Those who ignore or downplay these threats,and refuse to name the aggressor,are denying reality. Russia started this war. Russia alone bears responsibility.”

Numbers and Reactions

Russia’s defense ministry reported that its forces shot down 596 Ukrainian drones overnight. The war began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The recent drone attacks on both sides have heightened tensions, with each country accusing the other of escalating the conflict through long-range strikes.

With both sides intensifying their use of drones, the war continues to expand beyond the traditional battlefield, affecting nearby countries like Moldova. The international community has been urged to intervene as the conflict shows no sign of abating.