A recent wave of Russian airstrikes across Ukraine has left at least six people dead and 21 others injured, marking an escalation in the ongoing conflict. According to Ukrainian authorities, five of these fatalities occurred in the southern city of Mykolaiv, while one person lost their life in Zaporizhzhia.
In the central city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that a missile strike on an apartment building injured at least seven people, including two children. Writing on social media platform X, Zelensky decried the attacks, stating that Russian forces are targeting more civilian sites daily. He renewed his call for Ukraine’s allies to increase military support, condemning the continued assault as undermining any Russian claims to diplomacy.
Russia also claimed to have destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones near the Kursk and Belgorod regions, though no casualties were reported.
Over the weekend, Ukraine and Russia reportedly launched their largest mutual drone offensives since the conflict began. Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones across six regions, including some near Moscow, which prompted diversions at three major Moscow airports. Ukraine’s air force responded, stating that 145 Russian drones had been launched nationwide, with most intercepted.
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Meanwhile, recent reports by the Washington Post indicated that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, allegedly advising him against escalating the war. However, the Kremlin later denied any such conversation had taken place. Trump reportedly spoke with Zelensky following his election, though details of the half-hour call remain limited. Zelensky has stressed the critical need for U.S. support, warning that without it, Ukraine would struggle to maintain its defenses.
Although the Kremlin has expressed cautious optimism toward the incoming U.S. administration, others, including UK Defence Secretary John Healey, expect continued U.S. support for Ukraine. Healey emphasized the UK’s commitment to standing with Ukraine and predicted that the U.S. would remain engaged alongside its allies.
On the ground, Russian forces are reportedly advancing in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow’s defense ministry announcing the capture of Kolisnykivka village in the Kharkiv region. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia has made its most significant territorial gains since early 2022, marking a shift in the conflict’s dynamic. Ukraine Russia4
