At least 12 civilians were killed and 40 others were injured in Russian missile and drone attacks in Ukraine on Monday. President Zelensky described these attacks as terrible. Ever since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, its forces have been bombing Ukraine to destroy infrastructure and demoralize its population. According to the United Nations, more than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed.
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksandr Hanzha, said a Russian missile targeting infrastructure hit the central city of Dnipro, killing six people and injuring 29. Zelensky said on social media that Russian drones also attacked a minibus filled with passengers in the southern city of Zaporizhia, killing three people and injuring six, including a child.
Deadly attacks in many areas of Ukraine
National police said Russian drones also killed a 69-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man in the north-eastern Sumy region. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said one person was killed and five others were wounded in the daytime Russian attack in the northeastern city. Officials said there were also deadly attacks in at least six other regions of Ukraine. No further information regarding this was immediately available.
Power outages in some Ukrainian areas due to attacks
Grid operator ‘Ukrainergo’ said that some customers in eight areas of Ukraine lost electricity after the Russian attacks on Monday. Also, due to increasing heat, people used air conditioners, due to which electricity consumption also increased. Zelensky reiterated his appeal to Europe to further improve air defense systems to stop Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelensky said people need better protection from such horrific attacks. The most important thing is that we have anti-ballistic capabilities. It is very important that Europe remains fully active in developing its own anti-ballistic defense systems and missiles.
Ukraine’s increasing drone attacks will not stop war: Putin
Western officials say there has been a major change in the war in recent months. Due to the increasing drone attacks in Ukraine, there is a shortage of fuel in Russia and the Russian-occupied areas. According to experts, these attacks have weakened the supply lines of the Russian army deployed at the front in eastern and southern Ukraine, slowing down their advance.
Ukraine’s new drone engineering has given it an edge and made it the world leader in military use of this technology. Ukraine, which earlier appealed for foreign military help, is now helping allied countries.
Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks fuel shortages
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Sunday that Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks on Russian oil facilities have caused fuel shortages. Due to this shortage, people are angry and frustrated as they have to stand in queues for hours at gas stations. But Putin refused to make any concessions to end the attack and insisted that despite what he described as a temporary setback, Russia would ultimately win the war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s stance on Ukraine had not changed and stressed that Russian troops were continuing their offensive on the front. Peskov told journalists that due to their efforts we are confident that our goals will be achieved. Experts say that Russia’s advantage on the battlefield is decreasing.
Question mark on Russia’s capability
Washington-based think tank, ‘Institute for the Study of War’ said that this stance of Kremlin is an attempt to force the West and Ukraine to accept Russia’s demands. But, he further said, Russia’s performance on the battlefield continues to decline even in 2026 and there is a question mark over Russia’s ability to achieve its goals through military force. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that from late Sunday night to Monday morning, air defense systems shot down 209 Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 82 of 108 drones launched by Russia overnight.
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