Russian airstrikes resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to numerous others in Ukraine, according to local authorities on Saturday. This occurred after Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned that deploying European troops into Ukraine would lead to a direct confrontation with Russia. Ukraine is facing escalating pressure from Russia’s heightened air assaults utilizing ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to breach defenses. The attacks by Moscow have specifically targeted Ukraine’s power grid in anticipation of winter, with the aim of undermining civilian morale.
In the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, two individuals lost their lives, and one person sustained injuries when Russian drones struck a residential area overnight, as reported by regional head Ivan Fedorov. Local officials also confirmed one fatality and three injuries in Kryvyi Rih due to the strikes.
In Odesa and the surrounding region by the Black Sea, a total of 35 individuals were wounded in what regional head Oleh Kiper described as a “massive attack.” Among the structures hit was a residential high-rise building, with its upper floors completely destroyed.
During the BRICS summit in India on Friday, Putin expressed to reporters that any European military intervention in Ukraine would signify “a war with Russia.” European leaders have voiced support for a potential peacekeeping mission, which Moscow has consistently rejected as unacceptable.
Contrary to claims of posing a threat to Europe, Putin asserted that Russia has never posed such a threat. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk highlighted that recent incidents near Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Moldova could indicate potential increased Russian provocations at Ukraine’s border crossings with Europe.
A significant event occurred at the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday night when two individuals perished in a Russian drone attack. Additionally, a “direct threat” to a Polish-Ukrainian crossing point on Wednesday night was averted through collaboration between Warsaw and Kyiv.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle published on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to meet Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December if both leaders are invited. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, mentioned on Saturday that the prospect of Putin attending the summit had not been deliberated yet. The Kremlin has previously suggested that Zelenskyy could visit Moscow for a meeting with Putin, a proposal that Kyiv has declined.
