Russia And Ukraine Trade Deadly Strikes As Civilians Continue To Suffer (Worthy News Radio)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The human cost of the war between Russia and Ukraine continued on Saturday as Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia and renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine left more civilians dead and injured.

Russian authorities said overnight Ukrainian drone attacks killed eight people and wounded more than 60 across several regions, while Ukraine continued to recover from days of Russian missile and drone strikes that have claimed civilian lives, including in and around the capital, Kyiv.

The latest violence underscored how the conflict, now in its fifth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues to bring suffering to people on both sides.

HUMAN SUFFERING GROWS

Residents in Russia watched emergency crews battle fires after Ukrainian drones struck two large warehouses belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries. One warehouse was located in Kotovsk, about 360 kilometers (220 miles) from the Ukrainian border, while the other was in Elektrostal, east of Moscow.

Russian officials said seven of those killed were night-shift workers at the Kotovsk warehouse. Dozens of other people were reported injured in attacks across several regions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the targeted warehouses were being used to store sanctioned components destined for Russian drone production and navigation systems. He also said Ukrainian forces struck an oil facility.

Kyiv further reported attacks on vessels in the Black and Azov seas that it said were transporting oil, fuel and military cargo, as well as strikes against military logistics infrastructure in occupied Ukrainian territory.

ESCALATING MILITARY ATTACKS

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 379 Ukrainian drones overnight over 19 regions, including the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula, as well as over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The Ukrainian operation followed several days of intense Russian missile and drone attacks.

Earlier this week, Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least two people and injured several others, including a child. Other attacks elsewhere in Ukraine also caused civilian casualties and widespread damage.

The exchange of attacks has deepened concerns that civilians are increasingly bearing the burden of a conflict with no immediate end in sight.

HEAVY TOLL OF WAR

According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), both Russia and Ukraine continue to sustain heavy military losses.

The think tank estimates Russia has suffered about 1.4 million battlefield casualties, including up to 450,000 deaths, since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It estimates Ukrainian military casualties at between 525,000 and 625,000, including those killed and wounded.

Those figures reflect military casualties and do not include the many civilians who have been killed, injured, displaced, or traumatized during the conflict.

RENEWED APPEALS FOR PEACE

As the violence persists, there are prayers and international calls for peace in hope of bringing an end to what is now Europe’s deadliest armed conflict since the Second World War.

With the death toll mounting Pope Leo XIV is among religious leaders urging an end to the bloodshed, calling for dialogue, reconciliation, and a just and lasting peace.

Yet more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, families in both Russia and Ukraine continue to endure loss, fear, and uncertainty.

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