Russia launches large-scale attack on Ukraine, killing three and injuring dozens

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting regions across Ukraine early on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said attacks took place across nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv.

“The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multi-storey building in the city of Dnipro.

“Each such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure,” he said in a statement on his official Telegram account.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones overnight slammed into an energy facility in Samara, south-western Russia, according to the local governor and Ukraine’s General Staff.

Russia’s Defence Ministry on Saturday said its forces intercepted 149 Ukrainian drones during the night.

Mr Zelensky said he expected to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week.

He also said the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States would likely hold separate talks focused on humanitarian issues involving children.

His comments, which he made on Friday, were embargoed until Saturday morning.

At least 30 people were injured in the attack in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, local governor Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro.

In the Kyiv region, local authorities said there were strikes in the areas of Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv. A home and cars were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, governor Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down.

Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said in a statement.

In total, 579 drones, eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles were detected. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralised 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles.

“During the air strike, tactical aviation, in particular F-16 fighters, effectively worked on the enemy’s cruise missiles. Western weapons once again prove their effectiveness on the battlefield,” the Air Force said in a statement.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones overnight hit an energy facility in Samara, southwestern Russia, according to the local governor and Ukraine’s General Staff.

Ukraine on Saturday claimed its drones struck the Novokuibyshevsk Refinery, a major producer of jet fuel that is operated by Russian oil major Rosneft. It said the strike resulted in explosions and a fire.

Samara’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said unspecified fuel and energy facilities were targeted. He later reported that four people had died in the attack, but did not immediately say who they were or describe any damage.

Ukraine’s General Staff also said a second Russian oil refinery was hit overnight, in the city of Saratov. The city lies in a region of the same name, south west of Samara.

Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels published videos of what they said was a strike near the Saratov refinery. They show blasts and a fiery glow against the night sky, with air sirens wailing in the background.

Local governor Roman Busargin did not immediately comment on claims that the refinery was hit. He said a woman was taken to hospital following night-time drone strikes on Saratov, and residential buildings were damaged.

Ukrainian drones also struck Russian pumping stations of the Kuibyshev-Tikhoretsk oil pipeline, an intelligence official told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The pipeline leads to the export terminal in the port of Novorossiysk.

Explosions were recorded at several stations in various regions of Volgograd and Samara, according to the intelligence official.

Ukraine “continues its successful work on introducing drone sanctions against Russian refineries and oil pumping stations. It is this infrastructure that brings petrodollar surpluses to the Russian budget, which fuels the war against Ukraine. Work on blocking these money flows will continue”, they told AP.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalising such commitments during next week’s meetings in New York.

He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the US.

“I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need,” Mr Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Mr Trump.

“If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions,” he said, adding that Mr Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.