Moscow Attacks Western Ukraine in Retaliation for Ukrainian Strike on Russian Tanker
KYIV, Ukraine — Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated on Sunday as Moscow carried out a massive missile and drone attack on western Ukraine. This attack came in response to a Ukrainian strike on a Russian tanker in the Black Sea near Crimea late Friday. The exchange of fire resulted in at least six deaths and several injuries.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 70 attack drones and missiles, including cruise missiles from aircraft over the Caspian Sea, as well as Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs. The strikes targeted the Starokostiantyniv area, damaging multiple buildings and sparking a fire at a warehouse. Officials believe the attack was intended for the city’s airfield. Additionally, Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed that a Ukrainian drone packed with 992 pounds of explosives struck the tanker transporting fuel for Russian forces in the Kerch Strait. Although the engine room was damaged, all 11 crew members escaped unharmed.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the Ukrainian actions, labeling them a “terrorist attack” on a civilian vessel. Zakharova stated that such actions would not go unanswered and those responsible would be punished.
The violence continued overnight, resulting in two deaths during a Russian air strike in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Another four people were injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his outrage, stating that the guided bomb targeting a blood transfusion center was a war crime that exemplified Russian aggression.
The shelling continued along the frontline in Eastern Ukraine as Kyiv pressed forward with its counteroffensive. In the Kharkiv region, a 58-year-old woman was killed, and a 66-year-old man was hospitalized due to Russian shelling. Furthermore, Russian missiles injured a 55-year-old man and sparked a forest fire in Ukraine’s eastern Kupyan region.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks in the Donetsk region villages of Torske and Niu-York claimed the lives of two individuals. In retaliation, Ukrainian shelling in Russian-held Donetsk killed an elderly woman and set fire to the main building of a university. Although Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry reported no casualties, the blaze caused the building’s roof to collapse.
In addition to the attacks in Ukraine, Moscow’s second-largest airport, Vnukovo, temporarily suspended flights after a drone was shot down in the airspace around the city. This incident marked the fourth strike on the Russian capital in a month, underscoring Russia’s vulnerability amidst the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The Russian defense ministry announced that the drone was destroyed by air defense systems in the Moscow suburbs. While no injuries were reported by the ministry, local media outlet Baza claimed that a 77-year-old man sustained a shrapnel wound to his hand.
As tensions continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine, it remains uncertain how the situation will unfold in the coming days.