Russian drone attack kills two at Ukraine-Moldova border crossing

What the report says

Russian drones struck a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova in Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing two civilians and injuring three others, according to Ukrainian officials cited by Al Jazeera. The attack hit the Starokozache crossing area and caused a fire, prompting a temporary halt to passenger and vehicle traffic at the border.

The report said the strike was part of a wider overnight wave of Russian attacks that also targeted Kyiv and other areas of southern Ukraine. Emergency services in the capital reported fires but no casualties from the Kyiv attack, while officials in Mykolaiv said port, transport and civilian infrastructure were damaged and one person was killed there. Al Jazeera also noted that Ukrainian authorities confirmed air attacks in the region and that Russian forces claimed to have struck Ukrainian military-related targets.

The article places the border crossing attack in the context of the broader Russia-Ukraine war, where drone and missile strikes have repeatedly hit infrastructure, cities and transport routes. The Odesa region’s location near Moldova makes the crossing significant for civilian movement and trade, and damage there can disrupt cross-border traffic beyond the immediate casualties. Al Jazeera’s report is based on Ukrainian officials, emergency services and military statements, alongside Russian claims about its own strikes.