Russia Strikes Zaporizhzhia After Ukraine Launches Weekend Barrage of 1,000 Drones
Russian drone attacks hit Zaporizhzhia and other Ukrainian regions after Kyiv's large-scale weekend strike on Russia.
Kyiv, Sep 21: Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia late Sunday, hitting residential buildings, a university and a shopping centre and leaving five people injured, Ukrainian officials said Monday. The attacks came a day after Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia.
The latest exchange of attacks highlights the continuing intensity of the Russia-Ukraine war as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet US President Donald Trump during the gathering, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is not scheduled to attend.
Zelenskyy said Russian forces also targeted nine other Ukrainian regions. In Kharkiv region, a Russian drone hit a house, killing a 45-year-old woman and seriously injuring her 13-year-old son, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down or suppressed 148 Russian drones during the overnight assault. Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, claimed its air defences had destroyed 244 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and the Black Sea.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted Ukrainian logistics centres, warehouses and ports. The strikes followed Ukraine’s large-scale weekend drone operation, which included attacks on Moscow and Russian oil infrastructure. Russian authorities reported damage and casualties from the Ukrainian strikes.
US President Donald Trump also commented on the attacks, saying Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries had affected diesel production. Earlier, he had urged Kyiv to stop targeting Russian oil facilities, citing concerns about fuel supplies and prices.
The latest escalation has also raised concerns beyond the immediate war zone. Moldova’s Defence Ministry said part of the country’s northern airspace was temporarily closed after an unidentified aerial object was detected entering its territory overnight.
Moldova has reported several such incidents in recent weeks, with drone debris also found inside the country. Officials said it was not immediately possible to determine whether the latest object was Russian or Ukrainian, as electronic interference can cause drones to deviate from their intended routes. Romania has also reported an increase in drone related airspace incidents.
The renewed attacks come amid continued diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would use the UN General Assembly to discuss ways of pursuing peace, while the latest wave of strikes showed that fighting remained intense despite international diplomatic activity.
