A tragic drone strike by Russian forces in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region claimed the lives of three individuals, as reported by local administrators on Saturday. On the same note, Romania intercepted and brought down a drone violating its airspace, marking the second occurrence in a span of just two days.
Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the Sumy region, disclosed that the drone assault ignited a significant blaze at a “civilian facility.” The casualties were identified as drivers employed by Nova Poshta, a private Ukrainian postal and courier service.
Meanwhile, a separate Russian drone strike targeted a shopping mall in Zaporizhzhia, located in southeastern Ukraine, late Friday evening. The attack resulted in a fire engulfing an area of 500 square meters and left several people injured, according to regional leader Ivan Fedorov.
Further intensifying the conflict, a large-scale Russian offensive on Friday targeted a location near Kyiv associated with a defense industry event. This attack tragically led to the deaths of at least 10 people and injured nearly 100 more.
In a dire warning during his Friday night address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cited intelligence reports indicating Russia’s preparations for a substantial missile attack on Ukraine. He suggested that such an assault could occur within the next 48 hours, escalating concerns amidst the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, Romania’s defense ministry said Saturday its forces “safely shot down” a drone breaching its airspace in an “unpopulated area” near the Ukrainian border.
Writing on Facebook, Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the drone was “shot down by a Romanian pilot from an F-16 aircraft.”
Saturday’s interception came after a drone was shot down around Padina, northeast of the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on Friday.
A series of drone incursions from both Russia and Ukraine have hit Romania and other NATO members since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone that was being used in the war exploded at the Black Sea port of Constanta, while three other sea drones exploded outside the port. No one was hurt.
A month earlier, a Russian drone that was part of an attack on Ukraine went astray and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people.