Russia and Ukraine escalated their aerial assaults on each other, causing casualties and destruction, as uncertainty loomed over the prospect of a ceasefire in their prolonged conflict, officials reported early Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that he was open, in principle, to Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. However, he emphasized that Russian forces would continue fighting until key conditions were met.
Despite these discussions, both nations have engaged in intense airstrikes, with Russia making strategic advances on the battlefield, pushing Ukrainian troops closer to losing their foothold in the western Russian region of Kursk.
Russia’s defense ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones across its territory. According to a statement on Telegram, 16 of these were shot down over the Voronezh region, nine over Belgorod, and the remainder over the Rostov and Kursk regions.
In the Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone attack left three people injured, including a 7-year-old child, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. A fire erupted in Gubkinsky district after a drone struck a residential home, injuring two individuals, while a separate attack wounded another person in the village of Dolgoye.
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev confirmed there were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage in his region. Similarly, the acting governor of Rostov stated that no injuries or destruction had been reported there.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported multiple Russian drone strikes, including one on the northern Chernihiv region, where emergency responders battled a fire in a high-rise building ignited by an attack.
Ukrainian media also reported explosions in areas surrounding Kyiv following warnings from the country’s air force about potential drone strikes targeting the capital and other central regions.
As of 0300 GMT on Sunday, no official information had been released regarding damages in the Kyiv region.