Russian strikes kill dozens across Ukraine as Kyiv targets Russian oil refinery

Russian forces launched extensive overnight aerial bombardments across multiple Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, and Kryvyi Rih. A strike on a commercial complex in Kryvyi Rih killed at least 15 people and injured over 130 others, while combined missile and drone attacks in Kyiv left 13 dead and 40 wounded. European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas denounced the barrage, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to pursue all diplomatic avenues to end the conflict.

In response, Ukrainian drones targeted a major Lukoil oil refinery inside Russia, as Moscow indicated that preparations for a prisoner exchange remain active. On the diplomatic front, the United Kingdom authorized France and Ukraine to manufacture Scalp cruise missiles locally, drawing warnings from the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Italy reaffirmed its refusal to deploy troops to Ukraine and confirmed it will not participate in joint military exercises scheduled for October.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.