Ukrainian drones strike Russia as Kyiv reels from consecutive massive air attacks

KYIV, UKRAINE —

Ukrainian drone strikes targeted southern Russia overnight, killing a 9-year-old boy and igniting a massive fire at a key oil terminal, Russian officials reported Saturday. The attack follows a wave of intense Russian bombardments on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as among the most devastating since the war began nearly three years ago.

Russia Intensifies Strikes on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure

On Friday, Russia launched a barrage of 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and nearly 200 drones, striking Ukraine’s already crippled energy network. Over half of Ukraine’s energy facilities have been destroyed in the war, leaving millions without reliable power. Rolling blackouts remain widespread as winter approaches.

“Russia is terrorizing millions of civilians with these assaults,” Zelenskyy said, condemning the attacks as deliberate acts of aggression against Ukraine’s civilian population.

Child Killed in Drone Strike Near Belgorod

In Belgorod, a Russian region bordering Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone hit a family home, killing a 9-year-old boy, according to regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The boy’s mother and his 7-month-old sister were injured and hospitalized.

Photos shared on Telegram showed the wreckage of a low-rise house, its roof and walls obliterated by the blast, surrounded by piles of debris.

Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone struck an oil depot in Russia’s Oryol region, sparking a massive fire. Images circulating on Telegram revealed towering columns of smoke illuminated by flames. Oryol Governor Andrey Klychkov confirmed the strike but reported no casualties.

Ukraine Faces Relentless Drone Attacks

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 132 drones across Ukrainian territory on Saturday alone. Fifty-eight were intercepted, while 72 were reportedly diverted by electronic countermeasures.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for targeting Ukraine’s “critically important fuel and energy facilities,” stating that the strikes aimed to cripple Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. The Ministry also linked the attacks to a recent Ukrainian strike on a Russian air base using U.S.-supplied ATACMs missiles.

North Korean Troops Allegedly Deployed to Russia

In a televised address, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deploying North Korean troops to assist in its operations in Russia’s southern Kursk region, a site of recent Ukrainian advances. While the North Korean forces have reportedly not entered combat on Ukrainian soil, Zelenskyy claimed they are already sustaining heavy losses.

The Ukrainian president framed the deployment as further evidence of Moscow’s reliance on external support amid its struggles to maintain momentum on the battlefield.

Civilian Casualties Mount Amid Escalating Conflict

Ukrainian officials reported that Russian strikes on Friday and overnight left at least two civilians dead and 14 injured in frontline regions of southern and northeastern Ukraine.

Uncertainty Looms Over War’s Future

Russia has maintained the offensive this year, steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine. However, the war’s trajectory remains uncertain as geopolitical factors shift.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office next month, has pledged to “end the war,” raising questions about the future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. The potential shift in support could significantly impact Kyiv’s ability to sustain its defenses against Moscow’s intensifying aggression.