A Ukrainian border crossing with Moldova came under Russian drone attack overnight, resulting in two deaths and three injuries, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Starokozache crossing, located approximately 500 kilometers south of Kyiv, was subsequently closed following the strike. Images from the scene depicted multiple damaged vehicles amid rubble. A Moldovan driver was also among those injured in the attack, according to Moldova’s foreign ministry.
Attacks in Ukraine extended beyond the border region. In Kyiv, a Russian drone struck a nine-story residential building, killing one woman and injuring 14 others, including two children. In Sumy, three people died after a drone hit a shopping center, with two additional people wounded in the same incident on Wednesday evening, regional official Oleg Grigorov reported.
Ukraine responded with drone operations targeting Russian positions. Officials in Russia reported that four people, including a child, were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk. The same attack injured 29 others and caused damage to residential buildings, a church, and a preschool, according to regional governor Veniamin Kondratiev. A separate Ukrainian drone strike targeted an industrial facility in the Arctic city of Novy Urengoy; regional governor Dmitry Artyukhov said the attack was repelled, though falling wreckage sparked a fire with no casualties reported. Russia’s defense ministry claimed its forces intercepted 596 Ukrainian drones during the overnight operations.
Moldova has faced increased drone incursions, with Prime Minister Vasile Tofan noting that 17 drones struck Moldovan territory in August alone, exceeding the total number of incidents from the previous year. These escalating strikes occurred despite recent diplomatic initiatives, including a phone conversation between Putin and US President Donald Trump. US envoys have been facilitating discussions aimed at direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian leadership, with Kyiv indicating talks could occur this month, though the Kremlin stated it was premature to confirm timing or location.
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