Sept 9 - Russian drones struck a border crossing linking Ukraine and Moldova in the southern Odesa region, killing two people and wounding others, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.
Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Telegram that two civilians near the Starokozache crossing were killed and three additional people were injured in the attack. The strike set off a major blaze and led officials to temporarily suspend passenger and vehicle traffic across the border.
Separately, Ukrainian emergency services said they responded to overnight drone attacks on the capital, Kyiv, that produced fires but initially resulted in no reported casualties in their Telegram post. Mayor Vitali Klitschko, however, said a Russian drone struck a 16-storey building early on Wednesday and that emergency responders were en route to the scene.
Officials further reported that five people were killed in the capital amid the wave of attacks. Authorities indicated Moscow had resumed a cycle of near-constant air strikes on Kyiv on Tuesday following a brief pause that coincided with the visit of U.S. peace negotiators.
Operational impact at the border and in the capital
The strike at Starokozache disrupted cross-border movement when authorities halted passenger and vehicle traffic until the situation was assessed and fires were managed. In Kyiv, the reported damage to a high-rise and fires from overnight strikes prompted emergency responses and heightened local emergency activity.
Officials gave casualty figures for both locations: two civilians killed and three injured near the Starokozache crossing, and five people killed in Kyiv. Emergency services confirmed fires in the capital though their initial post characterized the overnight strikes as causing fires without immediate casualties.
What remains uncertain
The immediate situation at both the border crossing and in Kyiv continued to be addressed by emergency teams and local officials. Authorities provided the casualty and disruption figures cited above; further updates may be issued as responders complete their assessments.