Russian strikes kill over 17 across Ukraine as battles rage in Donetsk

At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured across Ukraine following a series of heavy Russian drone and ballistic missile strikes targeting Kyiv and several southern and eastern regions.

Local authorities reported widespread destruction and multiple fires in the capital area, describing the bombardment as "one of the most tragic attacks" recorded recently. Strikes also hit the Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions, with emergency services confirming fatalities in Dnipropetrovsk, including three people killed when a drone struck a gas station near Kryvyi Rih.

Meanwhile, Moscow announced that its forces captured the settlements of Vasyutinske and Toretsk in the eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian military reports acknowledged severe front-line combat but did not confirm the Russian territorial advances.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă