Russian airstrikes resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to multiple individuals in Ukraine, as confirmed by local authorities on Saturday. The attacks came following a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin, cautioning that any deployment of European troops in Ukraine would lead to a direct confrontation with Russia.
Ukraine is currently facing escalating pressure from Russia’s intensified aerial offensive using ballistic missiles and jet-propelled drones to breach Ukrainian defenses. Moscow’s airstrikes have specifically targeted Ukraine’s power infrastructure ahead of the winter season, with the apparent goal of instilling fear and distress among civilians.
Reports from regional officials indicated that two individuals lost their lives and one person sustained injuries when Russian drones bombed a residential area overnight in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Additionally, in Kryvyi Rih, one person was killed and three others were wounded in separate strikes, according to local sources.
In the region surrounding the Black Sea port of Odesa, a significant number of people—35 in total—were injured in what was described as a “massive attack” by regional head Oleh Kiper. The assault included the striking of a residential high-rise building, resulting in the complete destruction of its upper floors.
During a press conference at the BRICS summit held in India on Friday, Putin emphasized that any European military intervention in Ukraine would signify “a war with Russia.” This statement was made amid declarations by some European leaders to support the concept of a potential peacekeeping mission, an idea that Moscow has consistently rejected.
Despite recent incursions, Putin asserted that Russia does not pose a threat to Europe and has never done so. He stated, “We do not threaten, nor do we have any intentions to threaten, European countries.”
In a separate development, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed concerns on Thursday regarding two incidents along Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Moldova, which he viewed as indicative of potential heightened Russian provocations at Ukraine’s border checkpoints with Europe.
The precarious situation near Ukraine’s borders was underscored by events where two individuals perished in Russian drone attacks at the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, and a potential threat to a Polish-Ukrainian crossing point was averted through cooperation between Warsaw and Kyiv.
In a published interview with Deutsche Welle on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to meet with Putin if both leaders were invited to the upcoming Group of 20 summit scheduled for December in Miami. However, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, mentioned that the topic of Putin’s attendance at the summit had not yet been broached. The Kremlin had previously suggested that Zelenskyy could visit Moscow for a meeting with Putin, an offer that Kyiv has declined.