Russia Launches Major Strikes as Ukraine Hits Oil Refineries

Explosions lit up the night across Ukraine as Russia launched a sweeping aerial assault, while Ukrainian drones targeted key Russian oil refineries in a dramatic escalation of cross-border attacks. The attacks took place against a backdrop of calls for tougher international sanctions as peace efforts remain stalled. Russia launched widespread attacks on 14 regions across Ukraine overnight, resulting in the death of one woman in the Zaporizhzhia region and injuries to at least 30 people, including children, the BBC reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired nearly 540 drones and 45 missiles, and he urged stronger sanctions against Moscow.

The escalation came days after Kyiv experienced its second-largest aerial assault since the war began, causing at least 25 deaths. In Dnipropetrovsk, the top regional official reported significant damage to infrastructure from drone and missile strikes, including the destruction of a residential building and damage to a shopping center. Four people were later injured in a separate drone attack. This marked the second consecutive night of attacks on the region. Rail infrastructure near Kyiv was hit, but the most intense attacks occurred in central and southeastern Ukraine. Emergency services responded to multiple fires, particularly in Zaporizhzhia.

Also on Saturday, a former speaker of Ukraine's parliament was shot to death in Lviv, per the AP. Zelensky denounced the death of Andriy Parubiy, a leading pro-Western political figure, as a "terrible murder." He said an investigation will begin. Prosecutors said that "an unidentified gunman fired several shots" and that Parubiy died at the scene, per the BBC.