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A series of Russian missile strikes hit Kyiv overnight Thursday, killing at least six people and leaving 33 others injured, Ukrainian officials said. The attacks struck 12 sites in the capital’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging apartment buildings, a medical center and an educational facility. Rescue teams worked through the rubble to locate and free people who were trapped. In Solomianskyi district, the upper two floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed, while fires erupted on several lower floors. Residents were also trapped inside two other apartment buildings and a school shelter. Ukraine’s Emergency Service said the air raid warning remained in place into the early hours of Thursday. The latest strikes come as Russia has increased its use of ballistic missiles against Kyiv, seeking to put further pressure on Ukraine’s already stretched air defense capabilities. Kyiv has only a limited number of systems able to intercept ballistic missiles, while supplies of ammunition for its U.S.-supplied Patriot systems remain tight. U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier approved Ukraine’s plans to secure licenses to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, but subsequently withdrew the authorization. Ukraine has responded by expanding its own long-range attacks on targets inside Russia, including weapons depots, military sites and other strategic facilities, in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s capacity to sustain its strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Russian forces launched a fresh wave of missile, drone and glide-bomb attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least nine civilians, officials said Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meanwhile warned that Russia is receiving additional military support from North Korea as Moscow continues its more than four-year invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said Russian forces used North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles in an overnight attack on Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. Local officials said six people were killed and 19 others injured in the attack. Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed in Russian drone and artillery strikes in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to local authorities. Zelenskyy said late Monday that Russia had received more ballistic missiles from North Korea and was preparing to deploy additional North Korean troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement more than two years ago, pledging mutual assistance if either country comes under attack. North Korea has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of weapons to support Russia's war in Ukraine. Analysts say its cooperation with Moscow is also helping strengthen North Korea's military capabilities. Zelenskyy warned that the combat experience gained by North Korean forces in the war could later pose a threat to other countries in the region. Ukraine has also accused Russia of increasing ballistic missile production to take advantage of Kyiv's shortage of Patriot air defence interceptors, which are among the few systems capable of intercepting such missiles. Kyiv also says Moscow is preparing to increase recruitment for a new offensive along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line stretching across eastern and southern Ukraine. "Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation," Zelenskyy said in a social media post. US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war have made little progress, while Washington has become increasingly frustrated with the lack of movement toward a settlement and has shifted attention to the war in Iran. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the Kremlin is unlikely to engage in serious negotiations or make significant concessions as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin believes his military can still achieve his objectives. The think tank also warned that Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptors could allow Russia to inflict serious damage over the coming winter, potentially prolonging the war and delaying meaningful negotiations. Children's hospital hit in Kyiv Russian forces also attacked parts of Kyiv overnight, Ukrainian officials said. One strike hit the grounds of a children's hospital, leaving two craters and breaking windows, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Children and medical staff were sheltering in bomb shelters at the time, and no one was injured. Another Russian strike caused a fire at a warehouse in the capital that spread over about 1,200 square metres, emergency officials said. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted "military industrial facilities and transport and logistics centers" in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia using ground-based precision weapons. It said drone storage facilities in Kyiv and a metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia were among the targets. Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv with Zircon anti-ship missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles, while launching 120 long-range drones of various types across Ukraine. Wildberries facilities attacked The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted nearly 400 Ukrainian drones overnight over 14 Russian regions and occupied Crimea. Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, said its logistics facilities in the Voronezh region near the Ukrainian border were attacked and caught fire. The company said the fire had been extinguished and most of the goods stored there were not damaged. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Wildberries warehouses as part of its campaign against Russian economic infrastructure. Kyiv has also carried out strikes on Russian oil facilities, saying the attacks are aimed at pressuring Putin to negotiate an end to the war. Russian independent outlet Astra reported that an oil refinery in Orsk, about 1,300 kilometres from Ukraine's border, was hit and published images showing smoke rising from the facility. There was no official confirmation of an attack on the Orsk refinery, which has been targeted in previous attacks.

 A Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk killed 12 people and injured 39 others on Monday, authorities in Russia’s Tatarstan region said. Tatarstan’s head Rustam Minnikhanov’s press service said the city was hit by a “massive” drone attack in the morning, targeting both industrial and civilian facilities. Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian oil facilities with long-range drones in recent months. The strikes have disrupted fuel supplies, reduced Russia’s refining capacity and increased public concern over the impact of the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the campaign is aimed at pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter negotiations and end the more than four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Nizhnekamsk, located about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, has a population of around 240,000. It is a major oil-refining and petrochemical center, hosting two refineries and a petrochemical plant. “We do deliver entirely justified responses, and every Russian strike will be met with our response,” Zelenskyy said on social media late Sunday. “Russia’s war will be felt more and more at their own home – in Russia,” he said, adding that the conflict continues because of “Russia’s unwillingness to end this war.”

Ukrainian drone attacks killed at least five people in different parts of Russia and set fire to another warehouse belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, Russian officials said on Sunday, as both countries continued exchanging long-range drone strikes. Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone hit a Wildberries warehouse in the Samara region, about 800 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, causing a fire. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said there were no casualties. Wildberries, often compared to Amazon in Russia, has come under repeated Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks. Since mid-July, Ukrainian drones have struck more than a dozen of the company's warehouses as Kyiv seeks to disrupt Russia's economy and logistics during the ongoing war. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defence systems shot down 635 Ukrainian drones overnight, including some over Russian-occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. The ministry did not say how many drones Ukraine had launched or how many reached their targets. Ukraine's air force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 133 drones overnight, with 24 reaching their intended targets. In Russia's Saratov region, Governor Roman Busargin said two people were killed after a Ukrainian drone hit a residential building. The attack also damaged civilian infrastructure in the cities of Engels and Saratov. Engels is home to a major Russian military airbase, while Saratov has one of the country's large oil refineries. Both cities have been frequent targets of Ukrainian drone attacks. In Russia's Bashkortostan region, Governor Radiy Khabirov said air defences repelled a large-scale drone attack on industrial facilities in the city of Ufa. He said a fire broke out but did not specify which facility had been hit. In the Udmurt Republic, acting regional head Olga Abramova said three civilians were killed and two others injured in a Ukrainian drone strike. She said Russian air defences shot down two drones but a civilian vehicle was damaged during the attack. Meanwhile, Russian strikes also caused casualties in Ukraine. Authorities in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia said a Russian guided bomb hit a residential building, killing one person. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, another Russian attack killed one person and set a postal terminal on fire, according to regional officials. The latest attacks came as both Russia and Ukraine continued to intensify long-range drone and missile strikes deep inside each other's territory.

More than four years after Russian forces launched their attack on Kyiv through Belarus, Ukraine is continuing to reinforce its border with its northern neighbor, keeping the area heavily fortified against any potential threat. What was once a busy border crossing has become a restricted zone filled with landmines and closed to civilians. Along the 1,084-kilometre border, roads are covered with anti-drone netting, while razor wire and rows of concrete anti-tank barriers, known as "dragon's teeth," line large sections of the frontier. An Associated Press team visited parts of the northern border earlier this month after tensions rose between the two countries. Ukraine had asked Belarus to remove Russian communications relay stations installed to extend the range of drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. According to Ukrainian officials, Belarus complied with the request, helping ease tensions between the two countries. Although Ukraine says it has seen no signs of a Russian troop buildup inside Belarus, officials insist that strengthening the border remains a key security priority. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly said his country's forces will not join the war unless Belarus itself is attacked. However, residents living near the border say they remain concerned that Belarus could become more directly involved in Russia's war against Ukraine. For many local people, the extensive fortifications serve as a reminder of the early days of the war while also providing reassurance that Ukraine is preparing for any future threat. Ukrainian border guards continue to patrol the area around the clock using armored vehicles, drones and advanced surveillance systems. Officials say work to reinforce the border will continue, describing Belarus—Russia's closest military ally—as a long-term security concern.

Ukraine pressed ahead with its war effort against Russia on Wednesday under a new military leadership after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy overhauled the country’s top defence command following days of political turmoil. The changes came after Zelenskyy dismissed Commander-in-Chief Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, responding to mounting public pressure and criticism over the military leadership. The reshuffle also saw Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov leave office, marking a significant overhaul of Ukraine’s defence establishment. The leadership changes, announced late Tuesday, followed a week of political tensions that drew attention both at home and abroad, with Russian officials publicly welcoming the developments. Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, was appointed as the new commander-in-chief. Considered part of a younger generation of Ukrainian military leaders, Drapatyi first gained prominence in 2014 during Russia’s annexation of Crimea and has since built a reputation for his leadership on the battlefield. Zelenskyy said the new military leadership has been tasked with presenting an updated defence strategy that includes continued reform of the army’s corps structure, faster delivery of weapons and drones, stronger air defence capabilities, and a clearer mobilisation plan. The future role of former defence minister Fedorov remains uncertain. The 35-year-old, widely credited with advancing Ukraine’s drone technology, had reportedly been at odds with Syrskyi over military reforms. His dismissal prompted protests in Kyiv and several other cities, where demonstrators demanded his reinstatement and called for Syrskyi’s removal. Following the reshuffle, Zelenskyy said he had offered Fedorov a senior government position aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s technology sector, though it remains unclear whether the former minister has accepted the proposal. Fedorov had earlier indicated that he had received job offers from several international defence technology companies after leaving office. He welcomed Drapatyi’s appointment, describing it as a symbol of change and expressing hope that the new commander would strengthen Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. Before his dismissal, Fedorov had publicly criticised Syrskyi, accusing him of obstructing military reforms and arguing that changes in the army’s leadership were necessary to sustain Ukraine’s resistance against Russia.

At a military cemetery in Kyiv, rows of crosses bear the words "Unknown Defender of Ukraine", each marked with an identification number and a note saying the identification process is still underway. Among them is one grave that now carries a photograph of Ihor Yalynych, a Ukrainian soldier who went missing in the Kharkiv region in 2022. After searching for four years, his children, Stanislav and Oleksandra Yalynych, were finally able to find and identify their father's burial place. The effort to identify thousands of soldiers killed in Russia's war is expected to continue for years, becoming one of the conflict's longest-lasting human tragedies. Many families are still waiting for confirmation, while some graves may never be identified. For much of the war, Ukraine had no dedicated place to bury unidentified soldiers. Their bodies remained in refrigerated storage while the country's national military cemetery was under construction. Even before the cemetery officially opened in January, the first unidentified soldiers were buried there in August. Today, more than 300 graves carry only numbers instead of names, with more burials continuing. "I was always close to my father, and losing him was very painful," said 21-year-old Oleksandra. "For four years, all I wanted was a place where I could come, sit with him and talk. Now I'm happy we found him." A father's final mission Ihor Yalynych was killed in eastern Ukraine in April 2022. He had served in the military since 2015, after fighting first broke out in eastern Ukraine and Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, he was serving with a brigade in eastern Ukraine. He safely completed his first combat mission and even sent photos to his son. But he never returned from the second. After weeks without contact, Stanislav posted online that his father was missing. Later, someone recognised Ihor in a photograph shared on a Russian Telegram channel showing nine dead Ukrainian soldiers lying side by side. Ukraine's National Police in the Kharkiv region confirmed to AP that an investigation is ongoing into the deaths of the group of Ukrainian soldiers whose bodies were found there in April 2022, as well as efforts to identify them. Although Ihor's body was recovered after Ukrainian forces retook the area in September 2022, his family spent four years dealing with official procedures, including DNA testing, before they could reclaim his remains. Stanislav said the process was delayed because his father's case file was reportedly sent to police in Mykolaiv region, where Ihor was originally from, and remained unprocessed for more than two years. In a written response to AP, Mykolaiv police did not comment on the family's claim that the file had been lost or delayed. They only said no criminal complaint had been filed regarding Ihor's identification. Because of the missing file, Stanislav said he was only able to provide a DNA sample about six months ago. The match was confirmed two months later. State keeps the flags until families are found During military funerals in Ukraine, the national flag covering a soldier's coffin is normally folded and presented to the family. For unidentified soldiers, however, there is no family member to receive it. Veterans Affairs Minister Natalia Kalmykova said the state accepts and keeps each flag until the soldier is identified. She said honouring those who die defending the country is important not only for the fallen but also for those left behind, reminding Ukrainians of the price paid for their country's independence and democratic future. Kalmykova said three of the first unidentified soldiers buried at the cemetery have since been identified. She said one reason so many soldiers remain unidentified is that those who joined the military during the early years of the conflict were not required to provide DNA samples. Ukraine only created a DNA database later, and about half of the country's troops have now submitted samples, according to a senior military official who was not authorised to speak publicly. When no DNA sample exists, identification depends on close relatives providing samples. Many relatives, however, remain in Russian-occupied areas, have left the country, are estranged from the soldier or cannot be located. Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, more than 40,000 DNA samples from unidentified bodies have been registered, said Ruslan Abbasov, deputy director of the State Scientific Research Forensic Center under Ukraine's Interior Ministry. Most have now been matched with some of the 170,000 DNA samples collected from relatives. When DNA samples are unavailable, investigators sometimes search a soldier's home or personal belongings to obtain genetic material. Each unidentified body is buried with a unique identification number placed inside the coffin, marked on the outside and engraved on the grave's cross. Officials maintain a registry linking every number to the corresponding body, allowing graves to be located once a DNA match is confirmed. A long process that will continue after the war Bodies arrive from battlefields and through exchanges with Russia. Since the invasion began, Ukraine has brought home 24,805 bodies, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Although many bodies are found carrying passports, military cards or driver's licences, DNA testing remains essential because investigators cannot be certain those documents belong to the deceased. Forensic medical examiner Maksym Paziura said identification is often made more difficult because the remains of several people can sometimes be mixed together in a single bag. Most bodies are also in advanced stages of decomposition. His office in the Kyiv region now processes between 15 and 20 bodies every day, storing them in refrigerated facilities until they are identified or buried. He said the workload has increased about five times compared with before the war. "Even if the war ends, we will still have a huge amount of work," Paziura said. "Identification is a difficult and lengthy process that will continue long after the fighting stops." For families, confirming a loved one's death is not only emotionally important. Without official identification, relatives cannot settle inheritance matters, remarry or receive government compensation provided to families of fallen soldiers. Abbasov noted that countries in the Western Balkans are still identifying victims decades after their wars ended, adding that Ukraine is likely to face a similar challenge. For Stanislav Yalynych, placing his father's photograph on the grave finally brought some peace. "Now it won't only be us who know our father is buried there," he said. "People stop and ask about him. It means his sacrifice was not in vain, and he will be remembered."

Ukraine is increasingly using midrange drones to strike Russian supply routes far behind the front lines, a strategy military commanders say is disrupting logistics, slowing Russian advances and helping Ukrainian forces regain ground. From an underground command centre in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, drone operators monitor live thermal images of roads in Russian-held territory. Once they spot a military vehicle, they guide the drone toward its target, aiming to destroy fuel, ammunition and troop supplies before they reach the battlefield. "Our mission is to cut logistics," said Kat, commander of Ukraine's K-2 Brigade. "If we stop their supply lines, frontline troops are left without food, ammunition, batteries and night-vision equipment. That's how we weaken them." The soldiers interviewed by The Associated Press used only their military call signs, following Ukrainian military rules. By repeatedly targeting roads used to transport fuel, ammunition and reinforcements, Ukrainian commanders say they have made Russia's supply operations slower, more expensive and less reliable. They believe this has helped slow Russian offensives while allowing Ukraine to launch counterattacks and carry out strikes in Russian-occupied Crimea. Until recently, this area was difficult for Ukraine to reach. Frontline drones lacked the necessary range, while long-range drones were reserved for strategic targets hundreds of kilometres away. That left a large area where Russian forces could move supplies with little threat. Now, fixed-wing midrange drones equipped with Starlink satellite communications have filled that gap, turning Russian supply routes into active targets. "They are putting constant pressure on Russian logistics and making it harder for Russia to keep some parts of the front supplied," said Samuel Bendett, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses. Bendett said Ukraine will need to maintain this pressure while Russia develops ways to counter the drones. Although he expects Moscow to adapt over time, he said Russia's larger military can absorb greater losses for now. "The key question is whether Ukraine can keep up this pressure in the coming weeks and months," he said. The K-2 Brigade operates from what looks like an ordinary office, while drones are assembled in workshops and launched from hidden locations near the front. Inside the command room, drone pilots dressed in civilian clothes work at desks covered with coffee cups, energy drink cans and electronic devices. Their computer screens display satellite maps and target locations rather than office documents. In May alone, the brigade launched 800 midrange drones, successfully hitting their intended targets with 650 of them. The drones are launched more than 200 kilometres away, after which pilots in Kharkiv take control. They can guide the aircraft for up to four hours and more than 100 kilometres behind Russian lines. Some operators are flying drones over towns they once called home before Russia's invasion forced them to leave. They now search those same streets for Russian troops, military vehicles and ammunition depots. The brigade even keeps a scoreboard tracking the performance of its 10 drone teams. The current record stands at 17 successful strikes in a row. One of the unit's top drone operators, 20-year-old Pharaon, said his gaming experience helped prepare him for the job. "When I was younger, I spent a lot of time playing Counter-Strike," he said. "It's similar in some ways because you're competing to destroy enemy targets." Military experts say Ukraine's campaign gained momentum earlier this year after SpaceX blocked Russian forces from using Starlink satellite services without authorisation. The move disrupted Russian drone operations while giving Ukraine a technological advantage. Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Eurasia Program, described the Starlink restriction as one of the year's most significant developments on the battlefield. Pharaon said the improvement has been dramatic. "Now, eight out of every 10 missions are successful," he said. "A few months ago, it was the opposite." The K-2 Brigade mainly uses the Dart drone, an inexpensive aircraft made from lightweight materials including wood, polystyrene and 3D-printed parts. It is mainly used to attack Russian supply convoys. Larger drones, such as the Hornet, carry heavier explosives and are used against bridges and other infrastructure. Before every mission, crews inspect batteries, cameras, flight controls and the Starlink communication system to ensure the drone remains connected throughout the flight. The drones are then taken to concealed launch sites near the front line, where soldiers prepare them for takeoff using catapult launchers. Russia was initially caught off guard when Ukraine expanded the campaign about three months ago. It has since increased mobile air defence teams, machine-gun positions and drone interception units, but Ukrainian commanders say the speed and scale of the attacks have allowed them to stay ahead. Bendett said Russia also faces coordination problems between military units, making it harder to respond quickly when drones are detected. Ukraine has focused many of its attacks on key highways linking the occupied cities of Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol and Crimea, which are major supply routes for Russian forces in southern and eastern Ukraine. According to Ukraine's military intelligence, repeated drone attacks have made parts of the land corridor connecting Russia to Crimea increasingly dangerous, disrupting the movement of fuel, ammunition and reinforcements. Pharaon said Russia is now expanding its anti-aircraft defences and deploying more interception teams near major cities. In response, Ukrainian drone operators plan routes that avoid known Russian air defence positions. During flights, they sometimes see anti-aircraft fire below as the drones continue toward their targets. Lee said Russia has also been testing electronic warfare systems designed to interfere with Starlink since 2024, but so far those efforts have had only limited success. "I think they have achieved some success, but we'll have to wait and see how effective it becomes," he said.

On a granite cliff overlooking a river about two hours west of Kyiv, hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts gathered for Ukraine's largest climbing and music festival, where adventure, live performances and community spirit provided a brief escape from the realities of war. Held last week in the Zhytomyr region, the Stoned Climbers festival brought together more than 500 participants for rock climbing, camping, swimming and stand-up paddleboarding during the day, while live bands and DJs entertained crowds in the evenings. Despite the festive atmosphere, reminders of the ongoing war were never far away. Visitors received repeated air raid alerts on their phones, soldiers on leave quietly mingled with the crowd, and organizers donated all proceeds from this year's event to support Ukraine's Azov Brigade. Unlike last year, however, no Russian drones or missiles flew over the campsite on their way to Kyiv. The volunteer-led festival was launched in 2023 by around 15 friends inspired by the climbing culture of Yosemite National Park in the United States, where rock climbing has long been associated with camping, outdoor living and a close connection with nature. Festival co-founder Dmytro Isaienko said they wanted to show that climbing is more than a competitive sport. "We realized climbing could be much more than just a sport. It's a lifestyle connected to nature, camping and the mountains," said the 39-year-old. The founders also wanted to make climbing more accessible rather than something only for elite athletes. Their first festival attracted around 150 people. This year, attendance grew to more than 500, most of them beginners or amateur climbers. Isaienko said the festival has taken on greater meaning during the war by giving people a chance to reconnect, learn new skills and take a break from the pressures of daily life. "People need to step away from the war for a while, leave Kyiv and spend time together," he said. At the climbing site, instructors helped first-time participants put on harnesses, prepare their equipment and make their way up the 25-meter-high granite wall. Whenever someone reached the top, fellow climbers and spectators applauded their achievement. Among the newcomers was 21-year-old Liliia Karpach, who traveled from Ukraine's western Lviv region to attend her first Stoned Climbers festival. She said she wanted to climb on real rock again and meet members of the climbing community. Karpach described climbing as both a physical and mental challenge and encouraged others to give it a try. "If you're nervous about coming alone, bring some friends. Even if none of you has climbed before, you'll still enjoy the experience together," she said. Instructor Andrii Lamei said helping beginners overcome their fears is one of the most satisfying parts of the festival. While guiding a young woman through her first climb, he encouraged her to pause and enjoy the view after she successfully reached the top. "Look around. Enjoy the moment. You made it," he shouted. Lamei said climbing teaches people how to cope with stress and remain calm in difficult situations. Although he dreams of climbing in places such as Yosemite and Norway, wartime travel restrictions prevent most Ukrainian men from leaving the country. "I'd love to visit Yosemite and Norway's mountains, but I can't. Maybe this has taught me to appreciate what we have here," he said. Isaienko believes that is exactly why events like Stoned Climbers are important. Even as the war continues, he hopes the growing climbing community shows that people can still build new traditions and enjoy life together. "This is a festival for everyone, including those who have never climbed before," he said. As more first-time climbers reached the top of the cliffs to loud applause, the festival reflected the steady growth of Ukraine's outdoor climbing community despite the challenges of war.

A Ukrainian drone strike hit an oil terminal in Russia's St. Petersburg on Saturday, Russian officials said, as Kyiv continued its long-range attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure. Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil facilities almost daily in recent months, a campaign aimed at disrupting fuel supplies and increasing pressure on the Kremlin as the war enters its fifth year. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the attack struck the Kirovsky district on the Baltic Sea. He also said Russian air defenses intercepted 72 Ukrainian drones over the city and surrounding areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation was part of Ukraine's "long-range sanctions" against Russia. In a post on Telegram, he said Ukrainian forces struck oil facilities at the port and also hit a military target on Kronstadt Island, located off the coast of St. Petersburg. "The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port's oil infrastructure, which helps finance Russia's war, and also struck Kronstadt, an important military target," Zelenskyy said. The Kirovsky district was also targeted in June, shortly before Russia hosted the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Ukraine also continued attacks on Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. Moscow-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov said a Ukrainian strike on Saturday killed one person and injured two others, including a 10-year-old child. Repeated attacks have forced local authorities to suspend gasoline sales to civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Ukraine's strikes on Russia's energy facilities as "not critical" and has insisted Moscow will continue the war until its objectives are achieved. He has argued that the attacks are intended to shift attention away from Ukraine's battlefield losses. However, military analysts say Russia's advances have slowed in recent months. On Friday, Putin visited Russia's military headquarters overseeing the war in Ukraine, where he received a report claiming Russian forces had captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of heavy fighting. He described the development as an important step toward advancing on the nearby cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, two of Ukraine's remaining strongholds in the Donetsk region. Putin called the capture of Kostyantynivka, a major transport and industrial center, a development of "major strategic importance." Ukraine denied the claim. General Staff spokesperson Maj. Andriy Kovalev told local media that Russian forces had not taken control of the city and accused Moscow of spreading "outright disinformation." The ongoing drone campaign has increasingly brought the war into Russian territory. Local media reported that the border city of Belgorod was left almost entirely without electricity on Saturday following overnight Ukrainian drone attacks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said eight people, including two children, were injured after Russian strikes hit residential buildings in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday.