About 50 people, including an 11-year-old child, were wounded in a Russian drone attack that struck Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv late Friday, officials said.
Residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged in the assault, according to Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.
Following the attack on Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged stronger, more decisive support from the country's allies.
"While the world hesitates with decisions, nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs strengthened air defense. Strong and real decisions are needed from our partners - the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace," he wrote on X in the early hours of Saturday.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Saturday that Russia fired 183 exploding drones and decoys overnight. Of those, 77 were intercepted by Ukrainian defenses, while a further 73 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. The Air Force also reported that Russia launched two ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 170 Ukrainian drones overnight. The ministry said eight cruise missiles and three guided missiles were also intercepted.
In southern Russia, four people were injured in a drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to Krasnodar Region Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev.
The latest wave of attacks comes after the U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine's vast mineral resources, finalizing a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia.
