Russian strikes kill civilians across Ukraine as Odesa hit by 200-plus drones and missiles, Belgorod struck by Ukrainian drones

Kharkiv apartment building struck

A Russian drone strike hit a residential high-rise in the Saltivskyi district of Kharkiv overnight on 8-9 August, killing two men aged 50 and 66 and wounding at least 21 people, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. French-language sources reported 23 wounded. Photos shared by Syniehubov on Telegram showed a gaping hole across four storeys of the building with thick smoke billowing out. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the drone had "destroyed four floors of an ordinary residential building."

In the southern Kherson region, Russian artillery killed a 61-year-old woman in the Berislavsky district early on Sunday, according to the regional prosecutor's office. The Dnipropetrovsk province separately saw at least two people killed and two wounded in artillery and bombardment strikes, reported Olexander Hanzha, head of the military administration.

Odesa under missile and drone barrage

Russian forces launched a barrage of ballistic, antiship and anti-radar missiles overnight along with more than 200 Shahed drones against the Odesa region, Ukraine's air force wrote on Telegram. Missile and drone attacks were recorded at 22 locations, with remnants of downed missiles found at six sites. At least eight people were injured as residential buildings, the energy network and the port sustained damage. Zelenskyy said repair work was under way to restore power.

Russia's TASS news agency reported strikes on fuel, lubricants and military equipment depots in Odesa's port. Zelenskyy linked the attacks to the port's role in global grain exports.

This is, in particular, how Russia is systematically waging war against global food security.

Governor Oleh Kiper had previously said attacks on the port killed 28 people in the first three weeks of July alone. Russia also struck two oil refineries in the Sumy region, Reuters reported.

Pavlohrad strike wounds nine including children

An attack near a shopping mall in Pavlohrad, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, wounded nine people including four children. Zelenskyy described the strike as "absolutely wicked" and said it targeted energy infrastructure. Images published on social media on Saturday evening showed buildings on fire in what appeared to be a commercial zone, though their authenticity was not confirmed by AFP.

Ukrainian drones strike Belgorod

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack on the border city of Belgorod killed three civilians and wounded 25 people, including children aged 4 and 9, according to acting governor Alexandre Chouvaïev. Fires broke out in cars, two apartment buildings and a house. A video published by Russian media showed an apartment building ablaze at night as residents watched from across the street.

Zelenskyy calls for more air defence

Zelenskyy said Russia relied on "ballistic terror" and that 61 missiles of different types had been fired against Ukraine this week. He called for increased international pressure and additional anti-aircraft defence for Ukraine. The UN has reported more civilian deaths this year in the conflict, which began four and a half years ago with no prospect of a peace agreement. On the front, the Russian army claimed on Sunday it had seized two small villages in the Donetsk region, a claim that has not been independently verified.