Russia Strikes Eastern Ukraine, Killing 14 and Wounding 37

Kyiv — At least 14 people were killed and 37 wounded, including five children, in Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s eastern city of Dobropillia and a settlement in the Kharkiv region overnight, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry reported on Saturday.

Russian forces launched ballistic missiles, multiple rockets, and drones at Dobropillia, damaging eight multi-storey buildings and 30 vehicles. The assault killed 11 people, including five children, and left 30 injured, according to the ministry. In a separate drone attack on the Kharkiv region, three civilians were killed and seven wounded.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes, stating, “Such attacks show that Russia’s objectives remain unchanged. We must strengthen our air defenses, protect lives, and increase sanctions against Russia. Anything that helps Putin finance the war must collapse.”

U.S. Intelligence Pause and Growing Pressures

The latest escalation comes as Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure in their first major missile attack since the U.S. paused intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Analysts warn that the suspension of U.S. military aid could weaken Ukraine’s air defenses as it struggles to track attacks and replenish its missile stockpile.

Dobropillia, a city of about 28,000 before the war, is located in the Donetsk region, just 22 kilometers (13.6 miles) from the front line near Pokrovsk, a key battleground where Russian troops have intensified their offensive.

Fighting Continues as Both Sides Seek Advantage

Despite U.S. efforts to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, intense fighting continues on multiple fronts.

Ukraine carried out a major drone attack overnight, damaging a storage tank at Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishi oil refinery—one of Russia’s largest. Meanwhile, Russian forces have increased their operations in the Kursk region, attempting to push Ukrainian troops out after Kyiv’s forces staged a surprise incursion there last August.

On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed its troops had retaken three villages in the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, further escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict.