Ukrainian civilians injured in Russian drone and artillery attacks, Russia claims progress in east

Kiev, Ukraine – At least five people were injured in Russian attacks in Ukraine on Sunday, local authorities said. The two countries exchanged drone, missile and artillery attacks. On the front line in the east, Russia said it had taken control of two villages, one in the Kharkiv region and one in the Luhansk region.

Three people were injured by Russian drone strikes in the partially occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine, local authorities said on Sunday morning. In the northeast of the country, two people were injured in the Kharkiv region when a village was hit by Russian shells, according to authorities.

On Sunday night, Ukrainian air defense intercepted 35 of the 39 drones launched by Russia, said Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshuk. Russia also fired three ballistic missiles and two guided missiles, but they did not reach their targets, he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its troops had taken control of two villages: Pishchane Nizhne in Kharkiv region and Andriivka, sometimes called Rozivka, in Luhansk region. Kyiv did not immediately comment.

Officials in the northern region of Sumy said on Sunday that Russia had launched a missile attack on “critical infrastructure facilities” in the town of Shostka. Mayor Mykola Noha said “two heating plants” had been destroyed and urged residents to conserve electricity and stockpile water.

There has been little change along the 1,000-kilometer-long front line, where a recent advance by Kremlin forces in eastern and northeastern Ukraine has yielded only minor successes. Both sides have now targeted infrastructure to limit the other’s ability to fight in a war now in its third year.

Russian air defense systems destroyed eight drones over the Belgorod region and the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian air defenses also shot down two ATACMS long-range ballistic missiles over the Kherson region that were heading toward Russian-annexed Crimea, said the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo.

Nine people were injured the day before in an artillery attack in the town of Shebekino in the Russian region of Belgorod on the border with Ukraine, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday morning.