Russia launched a missile strike on Kyiv early Sunday, according to the Ukrainian capital’s military administration on Telegram. Reuters witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion that shook the city shortly after midnight. This attack follows Russia’s deadliest airstrike of the year on Kyiv days earlier, which killed at least 31 people—including five children—and injured over 150.
On Saturday, Ukraine said it struck military targets and a gas pipeline in drone attacks inside Russia, where local officials reported three deaths and two injuries. Ukraine’s SBU security service stated that long-range drones hit a military airfield in Primorsko-Akhtarsk late Friday, sparking a fire in an area storing Iranian-made Shahed drones—which Russia has used extensively against Ukraine.
The SBU also claimed strikes hit a company in Russia’s Penza region that allegedly supplies Russia’s military-industrial complex, producing digital networks, aviation equipment, armored vehicles, and ships. Penza’s governor, Oleg Melnichenko, confirmed one woman died and two others were wounded in the attack.
Russia’s defense ministry said its air defenses destroyed 112 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory—34 in the Rostov region—between Friday night and Saturday morning. In the Samara region, an elderly man died when drone debris set his house on fire, while in Rostov, a security guard was killed after a drone strike ignited a fire at an industrial site. Acting Rostov governor Yuri Sliusar said the military repelled a “massive air attack,” intercepting drones over seven districts.
Early Sunday, a regional governor reported that Ukrainian drone strikes triggered a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, with over 120 firefighters battling the blaze. Russian media said a 2,000-cubic-meter fuel tank was engulfed in flames, prompting Sochi’s airport to suspend flights for safety reasons.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kyiv says its attacks inside Russia aim to cripple military infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort, calling them a response to Russia’s relentless strikes on Ukraine.
Indian officials confirmed the country will continue buying Russian oil despite looming U.S. sanctions on Moscow’s trading partners. Reports had suggested India—a major energy importer—might halt purchases of discounted Russian crude. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called such a move “a good step” if true, though Indian refineries plan to maintain imports.
Ukrainian authorities arrested several politicians Saturday over an alleged “large-scale corruption scheme” in the defense sector, following controversy over anti-graft agencies’ independence. A July law had placed Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the prosecutor general’s control, but President Zelensky reversed the decision Thursday after backlash from allies and public protests.
NABU later…On Saturday, authorities revealed a scheme involving the systematic theft of budget funds meant for Ukraine’s defense forces, along with large-scale bribery. The scheme involved overcharging for electronic warfare and drone equipment, with 30% of contract funds being siphoned off. Among the suspects are a member of parliament, local government officials, National Guard members, and defense company executives. So far, four arrests have been made, though the detainees’ identities have not been disclosed.
President Zelensky praised anti-corruption agencies for their work, stressing the importance of their independence. He noted that a recently passed law ensures they have the necessary tools to effectively combat corruption.
Meanwhile, Russian-installed officials at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant reported that a fire caused by Ukrainian shelling has been contained. The plant, Europe’s largest, was seized by Russian forces early in the 2022 invasion. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of actions that could lead to a nuclear disaster. Officials stated that one civilian was killed in the shelling, but no plant workers or emergency responders were injured. Although the plant is not operational, it still requires power to keep its nuclear fuel cool.
