8 killed in Zaporizhzhia as Russia, Ukraine trade fresh strikes
Rescuers and employers work at a site of the drinking water delivery company hit by a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, July 25, 2026. (Reuters Photo)


Moscow-installed officials said Saturday that Ukrainian forces struck holiday camps in the partially Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region, killing eight people, while authorities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region said a Russian drone attack killed three people.

The latest strikes came a day after a major Russian assault near Kyiv killed at least 10 people and injured nearly 100, underscoring the relentless exchange of attacks that continues to erode hopes for a diplomatic end to Russia's more than four-year war against Ukraine.

Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-appointed head of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, said two children were among those killed in the attack on the holiday camps. He said 14 other people were injured.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the attack.

Sumy regional Gov. Oleh Hryhorov said Saturday that three people were killed when a large fire broke out after a Russian drone struck a civilian facility. He said the victims were drivers for the private Ukrainian postal and courier service Nova Poshta.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it attacked a storage and launch site for Ukrainian drones in the Sumy region.

In Zaporizhzhia, in southeastern Ukraine, a Russian drone attack late Friday struck a shopping center, sparking a fire that spread across about 500 square meters (5,400 square feet) and injured several people, regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in his Friday evening address that intelligence assessments indicated Russia was preparing missiles for a large-scale attack, adding there were signs it could happen within the next 48 hours.

On Saturday, Romania's Defense Ministry said its forces "safely shot down" a drone that breached the country's airspace over an unpopulated area near the Ukrainian border. The drone "was shot down by a Romanian pilot flying an F-16 aircraft," President Nicușor Dan said in a Facebook post.

Saturday's interception came after another drone was shot down Friday near Padina, northeast of the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

A series of drone incursions linked to the war in Ukraine have affected Romania and other NATO members since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded at the Black Sea port of Constanta, while three other sea drones exploded outside the port. No one was injured.

A Russian drone involved in an attack on Ukraine in May veered off course and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people.