Russian Strikes Kill Six Across Ukraine as Putin Denies European Conflict Plans

At least six people were killed and multiple people were injured in Russian strikes across Ukraine over the past day, according to local authorities.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southeastern Ukraine, two women died and seven people were injured following attacks on the region, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported on Saturday morning.

"A total of 86 reports were received of damage to infrastructure, residential buildings, and vehicles," he wrote in a post on Telegram.

Two people were also killed and eight were injured in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, governor Vadym Filashkin said, with 1,121 people evacuated from the front lines.

In Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, reported that another person was killed and three people were injured in attacks across the region.

"Russian forces struck critical and social infrastructure, as well as residential neighborhoods in the region’s settlements, damaging five private homes in particular. The occupiers also destroyed private vehicles," Prokudin said.

A 69-year-old man was also killed in a drone strike on the Sumy region in the north of the country, according to local authorities. A further 10 people were wounded in a guided aerial bomb attack on the region.

Russian forces also carried out another wave of strikes on the Ukrainian capital overnight, injuring five people, per Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The Ukrainian air force said early Saturday that Russia had launched 173 attack drones at Ukraine overnight.

"According to preliminary data, as of 7:30 am, air defense forces have shot down or neutralised 134 enemy UAVs of the Shahed and Gerber types, as well as other types of drones," the force said, adding that strikes were recorded at 19 locations.

On Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia had also carried out a "double strike" attack on a logistics facility serving fast-food chain McDonald’s.

"Relentless attacks disrupt Ukrainians’ daily lives, damage businesses, threaten jobs, and undermine international investment," he wrote in a post on social media, while also sharing video footage appearing to show the aftermath of the strikes.

Putin denies plans for conflict with Europe amid rising tensions

It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Saint Petersburg that Moscow was not preparing for conflict with Europe, despite warnings from European officials amid an increasing number of suspected Russian hybrid attacks.

"We are not preparing for any kind of hostilities with Europe," the Russian leader said. "There is no real motive to escalate the situation with Europe, no matter what anyone says, no matter who says it, including in the Baltic states".

Sitting on NATO's eastern flank, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are particularly vulnerable to security threats stemming from Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In recent months, the three Baltic states have seen a rapidly growing number of drone incursions and related incidents, raising fresh concerns over airspace security and prompting Brussels to step up efforts to coordinate Europe's response.