At least eight people lost their lives in missile and drone strikes on Russian and Ukrainian territory in the past 24 hours, local officials reported on Monday, with damage to energy infrastructure documented in Russia's Belgorod region.
The recent attacks followed what local authorities described as one of the heaviest bombardments of Kyiv since the start of the conflict four years ago. Moscow said it would retaliate after characterising a dormitory strike in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region as deliberate. Ukraine's military rejected those accusations and said it had targeted an elite drone command unit in that area.
In the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian town of Horlivka, the local mayor, Ivan Prikhodko, said four people - including two teenagers - were killed. He posted the figure on Telegram and attributed the deaths to Ukrainian armed actions.
In Russia's Belgorod region, local authorities reported on Telegram that a missile and drone attack killed one man and injured another. The same post said the strikes interrupted power and water supplies, indicating damage to energy infrastructure that left residents without key services.
Attacks reported across Ukraine
Ukrainian regional officials said Russia carried out shelling, missile and drone attacks across multiple areas. In the southern Kherson region, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported two people killed and 16 wounded over the past 24 hours.
Near the city of Kharkiv, regional authorities said one person was killed and two others injured after what preliminary information indicated was a missile strike on the town of Derhachi, located just outside the city limits.
Further casualties were reported in the southeastern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, where local authorities posted on Telegram that eight people were wounded, including a six-year-old boy. Emergency services in Dnipropetrovsk said a drone strike damaged a nine-storey apartment building in the town of Pavlohrad, and shared photos showing thick black smoke rising from the structure.
Reuters could not independently verify the local reports.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians since the outbreak of hostilities in February 2022. Diplomatic efforts led by the United States have so far not succeeded in ending the fighting. Each side has accused the other of taking steps to escalate the conflict.
Ukrainian authorities signalled concern over potential moves by Russia, saying they plan to send reinforcements to northern regions to counter what they view as possible preparations for a new offensive. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for renewed diplomatic momentum to try to halt the fighting.
Context and verification
The casualty and damage figures quoted in this report come from statements posted by local officials on social media channels and regional governors. Some images and posts were cited by emergency services and local administrations; independent confirmation of all incidents has not been established for every report.