Russian strikes killed at least six people and injured dozens across Ukraine over the past day, local authorities said. Ukraine’s air force said 134 of 173 attack drones launched overnight were shot down or neutralised, with strikes recorded at 19 locations.
The deaths were reported in Zaporizhzhia (two), Donetsk (two), Kherson (one) and Sumy (one). Donetsk authorities said 1,121 people were evacuated from front-line areas. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russian forces carried out a “double strike” on a logistics facility serving McDonald’s.
Putin told reporters in Saint Petersburg that Russia was not preparing for hostilities with Europe and had no motive to escalate. His remarks came amid European officials’ warnings about suspected Russian hybrid attacks. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have seen a growing number of drone incursions and related incidents, prompting airspace-security concerns; Brussels has stepped up efforts to coordinate Europe’s response.
