Russian drone attacks kill nine in Ukraine after ceasefire expires

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Russian drone attacks kill nine in Ukraine after ceasefire expires9 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJaroslav LukivDSNS / Dnipropetrovsk regionUkrainian firefighters tackle a blaze following Russian drone strikes in the central Dnipropetrovsk regionNine people have been killed and at least 28 injured in the latest Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, local officials have said. They said the worst-hit was the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where eight people were killed and 11 injured throughout Tuesday. One casualty was reported in the eastern Donetsk region.

Overall, 14 regions were attacked. On Wednesday morning, President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 100 Russian drones were currently over Ukraine, warning of "more waves" of attacks throughout the day. Meanwhile, Russian officials said a gas processing plant and two other industrial facilities in three regions were hit by Ukrainian drones overnight.

The Details

No casualties were reported. The latest attacks come shortly after a three-day US-brokered ceasefire expired late on Monday. Both Russia and Ukraine reported multiple violations - mostly along the vast frontline - during the truce, but no major aerial attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a post on Telegram on Wednesday morning, Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha reported more than 30 Russian attacks on three districts throughout Tuesday. He said two people were killed in Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, and another six in the Synelnykove district - just south-east of the regional capital Dnipro.

"More than two dozen houses were damaged," Hanzha added. In the north-eastern Kharkiv region, five people were reported injured and a number of residential houses damaged. Russian drone strikes were also reported in the southern Odesa, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as in Poltave - Ukraine's central region.

What Experts Say

Writing on Telegram on Wednesday morning, Zelensky said 14 Ukrainian regions were attacked throughout Tuesday, and there were more attacks overnight. He accused Russia of "purposely" targeting Ukraine's railway infrastructure and other civilian facilities. In its latest update on Wednesday, Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 139 drones in the past 24 hours.

It said 111 projectiles were shot down or intercepted, but recorded 20 direct hits in 13 locations. Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said 286 Ukrainian drones were intercepted since Tuesday evening over 14 Russian regions and Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. In the southern Astrakhan region, Governor Igor Babushkin said that overnight, falling drone debris triggered a fire at a gas processing plant in the regional capital.

"There is no threat of air pollution," he added.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.