Russian forces carried out drone attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine late Sunday, according to Ukrainian authorities. The strike came a day after Ukraine deployed more than 1,000 drones against a range of targets across Russian territory.
Combat continued as world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly, while a negotiated resolution to the conflict — now entering its fifth year since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine — remained out of reach.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he anticipated a bilateral meeting with former US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the New York gathering, an event Russian President Vladimir Putin chose not to attend this year.
According to Zelenskyy, the attack on Zaporizhzhia struck apartment blocks, a university, and a shopping centre, leaving five people injured. Nine additional Ukrainian regions were reportedly struck during the same wave of attacks.
According to Ukraine's State Emergency Service, a drone hit a house in the Kharkiv region on Monday, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her 13-year-old son.
Zelenskyy characterised the military actions as evidence of an intent to broaden the scope of the conflict. He also highlighted the UN General Assembly meeting as a platform where collaborative efforts toward peace would take centre stage.
According to a Monday announcement from the Russian Defence Ministry, its forces had been targeting Ukrainian supply hubs, storage facilities, and port infrastructure.
The strikes came after Ukraine launched a widespread drone operation targeting Russian territory overnight from Saturday to Sunday, with many of the unmanned aircraft directed at Moscow, timed to coincide with the close of parliamentary elections there.
In a social media post, Trump stated that multiple Russian diesel refineries had sustained considerable damage and been put out of operation. Weeks before, he had advised Zelenskyy to stop targeting oil refinery infrastructure, citing potential worldwide consequences for energy supply and commodity pricing.
Reports indicate that leaders across Europe have expressed unease over Moscow's posture in the conflict and are pushing for stronger measures to compel a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine. Zelenskyy has continued to press ahead with his stated goals despite calls from the international community for a reduction in tensions.
The Moldovan defence ministry temporarily restricted a portion of its northern airspace after an unidentified flying object was detected crossing into the country shortly after midnight. Prior airspace violations had been linked to Russian activity, though the origin of the drones in the most recent episode — whether from Russia or Ukraine — had not been established.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has spoken out against the military operations carried out by Russia. Reports of unmanned aerial vehicle violations of Romanian airspace have also been on the rise.
A meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy had been arranged for Tuesday in New York.
