Russia launched a large overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine, killing seven people and injuring more than 30, in a barrage that also triggered a military alert in neighbouring Romania.
Ukraine’s air force on Saturday said 619 drones and 47 missiles were fired during the assault, adding that 580 drones and 30 missiles were intercepted. Despite the high interception rate, several regions were hit, with the city of Dnipro recording the highest casualties.
Emergency services confirmed that five people died in Dnipro after strikes damaged buildings and left people trapped under debris. Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said two bodies had been pulled from a разрушed structure, while five others were still believed to be buried under the rubble. At least 21 people were injured in the city.
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In the Chernihiv region, missile and drone strikes killed two people and left seven others wounded. Authorities also reported that two people were injured in the Odessa region following separate attacks.
“Practically all night, the Russians bombed Dnipro and our other cities and communities,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media, adding that most of the targets were infrastructure. He said strikes were also recorded in Chernihiv, Odessa and Kharkiv regions.
The attack follows a pattern where Russia carries out smaller nightly drone operations alongside occasional large-scale assaults involving hundreds of aerial weapons.
The situation escalated beyond Ukraine’s borders when drones were detected near Romanian airspace. Two British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets stationed in Romania were scrambled from the 86th Air Base in Fetesti after radar systems tracked the targets.
“Two British Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft conducting Enhanced Air Policing mission scrambled at 02:00 from the 86th Air Base in Fetesti [Borcea Air Base]… The pilots were authorized to engage the drones,” the Romanian defence ministry said.
The jets tracked the drones as they approached within 1.5 kilometres of the Ukrainian city of Reni. Romanian authorities later reported that an object fell in the Bariera Traian area near Galati at around 2.30am, with drone fragments recovered.
Reports indicate the RAF aircraft did not fire on the drones or enter Ukrainian airspace. Romania confirmed minor damage to an outbuilding and an electricity pole, but no injuries were recorded.
Officials said such incidents have become more frequent, with debris from Russian attacks often landing in Romania, which shares a long border with Ukraine.
“The defence ministry firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasises that these represent a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea area,” the Romanian defence ministry’s statement said.
In Russia’s Belgorod region, a woman was killed and a man seriously injured in a separate drone strike, according to local authorities.
The latest escalation came a day after Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 service members each in a prisoner swap.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, with discussions expected to focus on defence cooperation, particularly on drone technology.
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