Ukrainian drone attacks overnight into Saturday resulted in the deaths of three individuals, as reported by Russian officials. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that their air defenses successfully intercepted or destroyed a total of 112 drones across eight different Russian regions, alongside the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
In a drone attack on the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine, one individual was killed, according to acting governor Yuri Slyusar. Further inland, a separate incident in the Penza region claimed the life of a woman and left two others injured, as stated by the regional governor Oleg Melnichenko. Additionally, in the Samara region, debris from a downed drone caused a fire that resulted in the death of an elderly resident, reported regional governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.
On the Ukrainian side, the air force reported that Russia launched 53 drones and decoys targeting Ukraine during the same night. Ukrainian air defenses were reportedly effective, managing to shoot down or jam 45 of these incoming threats. This included an attack that wounded eleven individuals in the Kharkiv region, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
These drone strikes were initiated following a day of mourning in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. This sobering day of remembrance was observed after a catastrophic Russian drone and missile strike that claimed the lives of 31 people, including five children, and wounded more than 150 individuals on Friday.
The escalation of drone attacks and retaliatory measures comes in the wake of comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, he provided Russian President Vladimir Putin with a narrowed deadline—set for August 8—for tangible progress in peace negotiations. Trump further added that special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Russia to advocate for a ceasefire amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. He also warned of potential new economic sanctions should there be a lack of progress in mediation efforts.
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