Ukrainian drone attacks kill eight in response to Russian missiles

What the report says

Ukrainian drone strikes overnight killed at least eight people in several Russian regions, according to Al Jazeera’s report, which cited local officials and Russian statements that many of the incoming drones were intercepted. The attacks hit areas including Udmurtia, Saratov, Engels, Belgorod and Samara, with casualties reported in strikes on a car, a residential building and other civilian sites. Ukrainian forces also said they targeted energy and military-linked infrastructure such as the Saratov refinery, the Engels airbase and an oil depot in Kaluga.

The report said the strikes were part of a broader Ukrainian campaign against Russian oil, logistics and industrial targets intended to pressure Moscow’s war effort. It also noted repeated attacks on Wildberries warehouses, which Ukraine appears to be trying to disrupt as part of wider economic targeting. Russian regional governors described damage to civilian infrastructure and fires, while Ukraine framed the operations as military retaliation.

The escalation comes amid intensified cross-border aerial warfare between the two countries. Al Jazeera reported that Russia launched a record number of missiles at Ukraine in July, with Kyiv as a frequent target, and that recent Russian bombardments have caused heavy civilian casualties. In Ukraine, separate Russian strikes on Sunday killed people in Zaporizhzhia and near Kharkiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s air defenses are under strain, warning of a critical shortage of US-supplied Patriot interceptor missiles, a factor that could affect the country’s ability to defend against ballistic attacks.