Deadly exchanges of fire between Russia and Ukraine continued on Thursday, resulting in at least 56 deaths and more than 100 people wounded as both nations targeted logistics, infrastructure, and urban areas. In Ukraine, a Russian missile attack struck the northern city of Pryluky, leaving 22 people dead, including five children. Chernihiv Governor Vyacheslav Chaus confirmed the casualty count on Telegram, noting that four children died at the impact site while a fifth passed away in the hospital. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy identified the weapon as a Russian Kh-101 missile that hit a residential building, using the incident to reiterate his call for partners to provide additional air defense systems and ammunition. Chaus also reported that a separate Russian strike had hit the regional capital of Chernihiv on Wednesday, causing a fire in a three-storey building.
Separately, local authorities in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk reported that a Russian strike on two passenger buses resulted in 30 deaths and 18 injuries. The Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office and the regional governor’s office confirmed the death toll, noting that public transport in the area has been suspended. Despite these losses, Ukraine’s Air Force claimed that its air defenses successfully intercepted 117 of 130 strike drones and at least 44 ballistic and cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight.
On the other side of the conflict, Russian authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone attack on the southern port city of Novorossiysk killed four people, including a child, and injured 29 others. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev stated that three of the injured are in serious condition, and reported damage to three private homes, five apartment buildings, a church, and a kindergarten. Nearby in the town of Anapa, falling drone debris also caused damage to residential homes and a kindergarten, though no casualties were recorded there. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed to have shot down 596 Ukrainian drones across 11 regions, as well as over the Black Sea and Crimea.
Ukraine’s General Staff stated that it had targeted the Novorossiysk naval base, an essential hub for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, causing fires at the facility and an oil terminal. Additionally, a drone strike in the Russian Ryazan region sparked a fire at a data center operated by Yandex in Sasovo. Yandex confirmed that the attack forced a suspension of operations at the site, though no injuries were reported. Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov noted that two drones were intercepted over the region, resulting in structural damage to private homes.
The company reported no injuries.Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said two drones had been shot down over the region overnight, adding that a fire broke out at a local enterprise and windows were blown out in several private homes.Moscow and Kiev have increasingly targeted each other’s logistics centres, ports and energy infrastructure in recent months.Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, saying their attacks are directed at military targets or facilities linked to military activities.
