YEYSK, RUSSIA — A Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday struck a house in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, killing two children and injuring their parents, according to Veniamin Kondratyev, the region's governor.
Kondratyev said civilian infrastructure and residential buildings in the Yeysk district came under attack and confirmed that two adults were hospitalized. A separate Ukrainian drone attack in the central Russian region of Samara killed one person, the local governor said.
The strikes followed fresh Russian attacks that killed two people overnight in Ukraine. One person died in Kyiv, and another was killed in Zaporizhzhia, near the front line, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia carried out a major drone attack on Kryvyi Rig on Friday afternoon, striking a busy shopping center in President Volodymyr Zelensky's home city. Sixteen people were confirmed killed and more than 100 wounded. The drones ignited a fire that sent blood-covered victims fleeing into the streets, and nine people remained missing, emergency services reported.
About 30 minutes later, a second Russian drone strike hit the area. Zelensky condemned the attack as a "cynical and despicable" attempt to kill first responders.
On Saturday, mourners placed flowers and letters outside the mall in a makeshift memorial. An AFP reporter at the site observed twisted, charred metal being collected by machinery, blackened supermarket shelves stacked beneath a cratered ceiling, and blown-out windows.
The attacks mark the latest escalation in the four-and-a-half-year conflict. The United Nations reported that the civilian death toll this year has reached its highest level since the war's initial months.
Kyiv has repeatedly appealed to its allies for additional support as Russia intensifies its strikes. Ukrainian forces are struggling to intercept salvos of ballistic missiles.
Leaders from Ukraine's allied nations are scheduled to hold video talks Monday, coinciding with Ukraine's Independence Day, to discuss continued support for the country.
