Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Civilian Casualties Rise Amid Continued Attacks

At least 14 people have been killed in Russia and three in Ukraine, according to local officials from each side, as both countries continue to exchange attacks.

Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, said six people, including three children, were killed and nearly 40 wounded when drone debris fell on the resort village of Arkhipo-Osipovka near Gelendzhik on Monday.

His statement on Telegram followed updates from Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed head of Russian-occupied Crimea, who reported that the death toll on the peninsula had risen to four people, with two others injured. Additionally, acting Belgorod Governor Alexander Shuvaev reported four civilian deaths and 17 injuries across border settlements.

In Ukraine, three people, including an emergency response worker and his eight-year-old son, were killed in a Russian strike on a petrol station in the Kryvyi Rih district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, an area repeatedly targeted during the war.

In a post on Telegram, regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said a fire broke out as a result of the attack, damaging a petrol station and nearby vehicles.

Civilian deaths have increased in recent months, although both sides deny targeting civilians.

Also on Monday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had captured the settlements of Bilyi Kolodiaz and Uspenivka in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine.

In the latest Ukrainian attack on the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries, a drone struck a warehouse in the village of Khryastovo in eastern Russia’s Vladimir region.

Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Wildberries of playing a key role in Russia’s war efforts.

“There have been a number of online investigations from independent watchdogs who found that Wildberries sells things that are referred to as dual-use items, things like used military helmets, personal protective gear, bulletproof vests; things like this [and] fibre optic cables used in drones,” said MacAlpine.

Last week, Zelenskyy met United States President Donald Trump at the White House, describing the meeting as “good”. Zelenskyy is eager for the US to help Ukraine bolster its air defences, an issue discussed during a phone call with US Vice President JD Vance on Friday.

However, Trump appears to have since backtracked on his promise to grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.