Authorities in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro said Russian forces launched missiles, drones and artillery strikes that killed two civilians and wounded six others.

Regional officials also reported additional casualties in the northeastern Sumy region and the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, where 13 more people, including three children, were injured.
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of targeting civilian areas, allegations both sides deny.

At the same time, Ukrainian drone attacks struck several Russian regions overnight, targeting industrial zones and energy infrastructure that Kyiv views as critical to Moscow’s war financing capabilities.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defense systems intercepted 273 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, according to state news agency TASS.

In Russia’s southern Stavropol region, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said drones targeted industrial facilities near Nevinnomyssk, home to the large chemical producer Nevinnomyssky Azot, which has previously been attacked during the conflict.

Authorities in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region also reported drone activity near the city of Kstovo, where one of Lukoil’s major oil refineries is located.
Additional drone interceptions were reported over the Leningrad region, which hosts one of Russia’s largest oil export terminals and refinery complexes, as well as near Moscow and the Tula region south of the capital.

Regional officials in Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border, said an ambulance driver was injured during attacks in the area.

Ukraine has intensified long-range drone operations against Russian oil infrastructure in recent months, seeking to disrupt fuel supplies and reduce energy export revenues that support Moscow’s military operations.

The latest strikes coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, one of Russia’s largest energy customers and a key economic partner since Western sanctions intensified following the invasion of Ukraine.

The conflict has increasingly evolved into a war of attrition marked by missile barrages, drone warfare and attacks on strategic infrastructure far from the front lines.

Valery Gerasimov said in remarks released by the defense ministry that Russian forces had taken control of 80 settlements and were pushing toward what he described as Ukraine’s “fortress belt” in the east.

The campaign is focused on the Donbas, where Russian troops are advancing toward a line of heavily defended cities, including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka. Gerasimov said Russian forces were within 7 to 12 kilometres of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and already engaged in fighting in parts of Kostiantynivka.

Russia is also conducting operations in the northern Sumy region and the northeastern Kharkiv region, aiming to establish what it calls a “security zone” along the border.Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claims, and Ukraine’s military did not immediately comment.

Pro-Ukrainian mapping suggests a smaller territorial gain by Russian forces this year.Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said earlier this month that Kyiv’s troops had recaptured nearly 50 square kilometres in March, highlighting continued contested advances in what is Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

According to Russian estimates, Moscow controls about 90% of Donbas and roughly 75% of the Zaporizhzhia region and Kherson region, along with smaller parts of other regions including Mykolaiv region and Dnipropetrovsk region.

Russia also retains control of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, a move widely rejected internationally.The conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, continues to see incremental territorial shifts, with both sides reporting gains amid heavy fighting.

Ivan Fedorov said Russian forces carried out two overnight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia district, destroying private homes. A 10-year-old boy and a 48-year-old man were among those injured, he said in a statement posted on Telegram.

The attack adds to a series of strikes on civilian infrastructure in southern Ukraine, where frontline regions continue to face sustained bombardment.

Local officials said residential properties were damaged in the latest assault, underscoring the ongoing risks to civilians.

No immediate comment was issued by Russia on the reported strikes.

The developments come ahead of a planned meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators in the United States on Saturday, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, as efforts continue to restart diplomatic engagement over the conflict.

Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, supported by Washington, have faced delays in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials have said the talks were disrupted by the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has shifted international attention and diplomatic resources.

Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces remains ongoing, with periodic escalations reported across multiple regions. The latest strike highlights the continuing volatility on the ground even as diplomatic efforts seek to regain momentum.