The war in Ukraine shows no sign of abating. While the complex diplomatic game continues without success, Kiev accuses Moscow of launching a new, devastating attack in the early hours of Saturday. According to the Ukrainian government, Russian forces deployed approximately 450 drones and 30 missiles, severely impacting the country and leaving over a million people without power.

At least five people have been injured, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Across the border, Russian authorities claim to have shot down 41 Ukrainian drones and accuse Kiev of an attack on Saratov, in the Volga region, which reportedly caused two deaths and damaged several apartments in a residential building.

Throughout the nearly three-year conflict, Russia has been repeatedly accused of targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, leaving millions of civilians stranded during the winter. This strategy, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.

Kiev authorities report shelling in numerous regions of the country: from Chernihiv in the north to Kherson in the south; from Kharkiv in the east to Kirovohrad in the center. The hardest hit area, however, appears to be Odessa, Ukraine's main port on the Black Sea. "Over a dozen civilian structures were damaged and thousands of families were left without electricity after the overnight attacks," declared President Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterating his call for increased international pressure on Russia. According to the Ukrainian leader, the Kremlin has no intention of seeking peace, but rather aims to "inflict maximum pain on the Ukrainian people."

Moscow claims to have also used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in what it calls a "massive attack" against energy and industrial targets. Meanwhile, on the ground, both sides report fighting in the Pokrovsk area. Ukrainian Chief of the General Staff, Oleksandr Syrsky, admits that "the situation remains difficult" and accuses Russia of sending further reinforcements to the area.

In the evening, Kiev again pointed the finger at Moscow, accusing Russian forces of using a drone to strike a Turkish merchant ship carrying sunflower oil bound for Egypt in the Black Sea. The accusation, currently unverifiable, comes just hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's appeal to prevent the Black Sea from becoming a "conflict zone" and the day after a meeting with Vladimir Putin, during which Ankara reportedly described a possible limited ceasefire, focused on energy infrastructure and ports, as "useful."

(Unioneonline)

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