At least 16 killed as drone and rocket strikes hit Russia and Ukraine

At least 16 people were killed in a wave of drone and rocket strikes that hit both Russia and Ukraine, with a fairground in Kyiv among the hardest-hit targets and Moscow suffering one of its largest attacks since the war began. ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/russia-attacks-kyiv-with-waves-of-drones-missiles-4098256?utm_source=openai))

The exchanges of long-range strikes have intensified in recent months, and civilians are paying an increasing price more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion; diplomatic attempts to end the fighting remain stalled while there have been no major breakthroughs along the front lines. ([criticalthreats.org](https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/ukraine-conflict-updates-ctp-isw?utm_source=openai))

Regional casualties reported

Russian officials said five people were killed in a residential area of Rostov Oblast during an assault involving hundreds of Ukrainian drones, a toll reported by Rostov’s governor Yury Slyusar on his Telegram channel. ([t.me](https://t.me/Yuri_Slusar?utm_source=openai))

Authorities also reported further deaths in several other border regions: officials said three people were killed in Belgorod, Kursk and the Moscow region, while another three people died in areas of Ukraine that are under Russian control. ([marketscreener.com](https://www.marketscreener.com/news/russia-attacks-kyiv-with-missiles-as-zelenskiy-speaks-to-trump-europe-for-a-peace-deal-ce7f5cdddb89f724?utm_source=openai))

In Kyiv the fairground was among the most heavily damaged sites, with rescuers recovering victims and city services reporting extensive destruction to civilian infrastructure as well as multiple injured. The strikes on the capital once again underscored how large aerial barrages of missiles and drones increasingly reach deep into populated areas. ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/russia-attacks-kyiv-with-waves-of-drones-missiles-4098256?utm_source=openai))

For now, analysts say both sides continue to rely on long-range strikes and attritional tactics rather than manoeuvre operations, leaving the front largely static even as the humanitarian toll rises. International diplomatic initiatives have produced little visible progress in ending the cycle of strikes. ([criticalthreats.org](https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/ukraine-conflict-updates-ctp-isw?utm_source=openai))

Photo: press material from the event