Russia and Ukraine exchange heavy strikes as NATO activity rises near Kaliningrad

Russia launched overnight ballistic missile strikes against Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring six others, following a previous strike on a British American Tobacco plant in northern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces retaliated with drone attacks targeting industrial infrastructure across Russia's Saratov and Samara regions. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishev confirmed air defense systems intercepted "dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles," though a blaze erupted at the Kuibyshev oil refinery.

Concurrently, reports indicated heightened NATO military maneuvers surrounding Russia's Kaliningrad region. Led by the United States, the exercises involved American and Norwegian fighter aircraft, AWACS and EA-37 surveillance planes, alongside Polish ground units. Responding to queries regarding the activity, NATO stated that the alliance "is a defensive alliance" that must continuously enhance its operational readiness.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV