Russian forces unleashed a large-scale overnight assault on the Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk) and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine, causing multiple deaths, injuries, and widespread destruction, according to Ukrainian authorities.
In the Dnipro region, Russian strikes targeted the city of Dnipro and surrounding areas with missiles, drones, and guided bombs. Serhiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration, confirmed that a man was killed and a woman injured in Dnipro city. Residential buildings, industrial facilities, and parking lots were hit directly, sparking several fires.
Elsewhere in the Dnipro district, fires broke out in a shopping mall, businesses, and dry grasslands, killing another person and injuring at least four others. The community of Pokrovske also came under attack, with additional fires reported.
Ukraine’s military stated that its air defenses intercepted 7 missiles and 26 drones during the assault.
Meanwhile, Kharkiv was bombarded for nearly three hours, with more than 20 strikes recorded, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Seven major fires erupted in the city’s Kyivskyi district, injuring at least five people, including three firefighters who were hurt in a secondary attack while responding to the initial one. Emergency teams rescued six people, including two children, before three firefighting vehicles were destroyed.
Across the border in Russia, the acting governor of Rostov region, Yury Slyusar, reported that two people died after a drone strike ignited a fire in a vehicle. In Stavropol, residents heard loud explosions as a drone attack apparently targeted the Signal defense plant, which manufactures electronic warfare systems.
These escalations come a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had secured funding for three Patriot missile defense systems and was negotiating for seven more, as part of a new deal allowing European allies to purchase U.S. arms for Kyiv.
This announcement followed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier gave Russia a 50-day deadline to negotiate a peace deal or face heavy tariffs, pledging to supply Ukraine with additional defensive weapons through European partners.
Germany and Norway have each committed to sending one Patriot system, with ongoing talks between Ukraine and the Netherlands. Furthermore, Kyiv and Washington have agreed on a $10–30 billion deal allowing Ukraine to export drones to the U.S.
Although Trump has sought to mediate an end to the war since taking office six months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly rejected U.S. calls for a ceasefire. In response, Trump recently lifted the suspension on arms deliveries to Ukraine that had been paused to avoid provoking Russia.
