Russian airstrikes across Ukraine early Saturday killed at least four people and damaged critical infrastructure, including a port and a maternity hospital, authorities said, as Russia continued its war against Ukraine.
Moscow has fired drones into Ukraine in nighttime volleys during its four-year occupation that began in February 2022, with Kiev accusing it of attacking residential areas and targeting civilians.
In the southern port city of Odesa, two people were killed and at least 13 wounded, said Sergiy Lysak, head of the city’s military administration, adding that one of the strikes damaged a maternity hospital.
AFP images showed broken windows, debris inside the building and shards of glass strewn across the floor and treatment chairs.
“There was no military intent – this was pure terror against ordinary civilian life,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media about the Odesa attacks.
A port in the Odesa region was also damaged by shelling, after several hits were recorded on its infrastructure, Ukraine’s state ports authority said.
Russia launched 273 drones into Ukraine overnight, 252 of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force said on Saturday.
In Kryvyi Rig, one man was killed in a morning strike that hit an industrial enterprise, said Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipro regional administration. He said fires broke out at the scene.
In the central Poltava region, one person was killed after Russian drones hit a residential building and industrial facilities, regional authorities said.
State oil firm Naftogaz said the victim was its employee, who worked as a process plant operator.
“We suffered a tragic loss. Our colleague, 55-year-old Roman Chmykhun, was killed during one of the attacks,” Naftogaz said on Telegram, adding: “This is the second death of one of our colleagues this week.”
It said its facilities in the region were targeted “for the third day in a row”.
In Russia’s Yaroslavl region, a child was killed in a drone strike, regional governor Mikhail Evraev said on Telegram.
Moscow said a total of 155 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed in Russian airspace overnight.
(aw)
