Russian Drones Kill Two at Ukraine-Moldova Border Crossing as Attacks Intensify

At least two people have been killed and three others injured after Russian drones struck a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova in the southern Odesa region, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack targeted the Starokozache border crossing on Wednesday, triggering a fire and forcing authorities to temporarily suspend the movement of passengers and vehicles across the crossing.

Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said two civilians died in the attack, while three others were injured. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire and assess the extent of the damage.

The strike was part of a wider overnight Russian drone offensive that also targeted Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well as several other regions.

In Kyiv, emergency authorities reported fires following the drone attacks, while Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 16-storey building was hit early Wednesday.

Emergency responders were sent to the area, although no casualties were immediately reported from that particular incident.

Russian air attacks also caused damage to port, transport and civilian infrastructure in the Mykolaiv region.

A local official said one person was killed and several others were wounded.

Russia’s Defence Ministry separately claimed that its forces had attacked a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment in the Black Sea while it was travelling towards the port of Odesa.

Russian news agencies also reported a strike on a warehouse in Kyiv allegedly linked to a company involved in manufacturing drones.

The attacks came shortly after another major Russian assault on Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said five people were killed in Tuesday’s attacks after Moscow resumed its intense aerial bombardment following a brief pause during a visit by United States peace negotiators.

Russia also reported heavy Ukrainian drone attacks on its territory. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence forces had intercepted or destroyed 596 Ukrainian drones during the night.

Four people were reportedly killed in the southern Russian city of Novorossiysk, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.

Local officials said drone debris fell on several business premises and near a residential building.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed that attacks had taken place in the area. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said Ukrainian forces had targeted military vessels at a naval base in Novorossiysk.

Brovdi claimed that missile carriers were among the vessels affected, although he did not disclose how many ships had been hit.

Novorossiysk is a strategically important Russian port and a major export hub for oil, petroleum products, grain and other commodities.

The city has previously been targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes.

The latest attacks underscore the continuing escalation of long-range drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides increasingly targeting military, transport and energy infrastructure far from the main battlefield.

The renewed wave of strikes comes as international efforts continue to seek a path towards ending the conflict, with Washington and other parties pushing for renewed peace negotiations.

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