Russia Strikes Steel Plant in New Attacks on Ukraine, Kyiv Hits Moscow Region

Russia carried out a wave of airstrikes across Ukraine overnight on Sunday, killing two people at a major steel plant. In retaliation, Ukraine launched a heavy drone attack on the Moscow region, killing one person and setting fire to a warehouse belonging to Russia’s leading e-commerce retailer, Wildberries.

Romania, which borders Ukraine, said an F-18 fighter jet taking part in a NATO air-policing mission had shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace during the latest attacks. Romania did not specify where the drone originated, although a NATO spokesperson said it appeared to be Russian.

Steel Plant Hit in Kryvyi Rih

One of the main targets of Russia’s overnight attacks was ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest steel plant, located in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Ukrainian officials said at least two people were killed and 14 injured in the attack.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih said the strike damaged key facilities linked to power generation and blast-furnace operations, forcing the plant to partially halt its production processes.

The attack came as Russia has intensified its airstrikes against Ukraine in recent weeks.

Russian Missile Strike Hits Kyiv

A Russian missile strike early on Sunday caused fires in at least two districts of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three people were injured.

Kyiv region Governor Tymur Tkachenko said another three people, including a child, were injured in drone attacks across the region.

Major Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow Region

Ukraine responded with a major drone attack on the Moscow region.

Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said an 83-year-old man was killed. He described the attack as one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks on the Moscow region since the beginning of the war.

Several other people were reportedly injured in the Podolsk area.

The attack also struck a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. Reuters footage showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the company’s Koledino warehouse, about 45 km (28 miles) south of Moscow.

Ukraine has targeted Wildberries in recent weeks, accusing the company of handling military-related goods as part of a broader effort to damage Russian economic infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.

Casualties in Belgorod

A drone strike on a bus near the southern Russian city of Belgorod also killed one person, according to the regional governor.

The Belgorod region borders eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s military also said it had struck a missile-fuel production facility in Russia’s Rostov region overnight. Russia did not immediately comment on the claim.

NATO F-18 Shoots Down Drone Over Romania

The latest incident has raised further concerns about the regional security risks posed by the war.

Romania’s Defence Ministry said that at 5:01 a.m. local time, an F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone that had entered Romanian airspace.

The aircraft was part of a Spanish NATO contingent conducting an air-policing mission.

Romania said fragments from the destroyed drone appeared to have fallen in an uninhabited area between two villages. Russia did not immediately comment.

Conflict Takes on a Wider Regional Dimension

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has increasingly demonstrated its ability to strike deep inside Russian territory, including military and economic infrastructure. Russia, meanwhile, has continued heavy air attacks against Ukrainian industrial, energy and transport infrastructure.

The latest wave of attacks shows that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is increasingly extending beyond the immediate battlefield. The entry of a drone into Romanian airspace and its destruction by a NATO F-18 fighter highlights the growing risks that the war could have wider regional security implications.

Source: Reuters