At least seven people died in a widespread Russian missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight, with five fatalities reported in the central city of Dnipro after an apartment building was struck, Ukrainian officials said Saturday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky described the assault as lasting "practically all night," as rescue workers continued sifting through rubble in Dnipro on Saturday morning, searching for survivors.
The attack prompted British jets stationed in Romania to scramble after Russian drones were detected near the border, though the UK Ministry of Defence denied shooting any down. Romanian authorities are investigating an object that fell on their territory near the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine retaliated with some of its longest-range drone strikes deep inside Russia. In Yekaterinburg, about 1,600 kilometers from Ukraine's border, the regional governor said six people were injured when a building was hit. In nearby Chelyabinsk, local officials reported drones targeting an industrial facility were intercepted.
Russian missiles and drones also struck the northern city of Chernihiv, killing two people, and targeted Odesa and Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces said they repelled the vast majority of more than 600 drones, marking what appeared to be the largest aerial assault in days.
Zelensky posted on social media: "The Russians' tactics have not changed: strike drones, cruise missiles, and a significant amount of ballistics. Most of the targets are ordinary infrastructure in cities. Residential buildings, energy, and enterprises have been damaged."
Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed it shot down 127 drones over more than a dozen regions and said its forces had taken control of the village of Bochkove in the Kharkiv region, a claim Ukraine has not commented on.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to seek international support. Zelensky met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday, discussing air defense cooperation and joint military production, as Gulf states grow interested in Ukraine's drone warfare expertise after coming under Iranian attack.