Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro and surrounding areas overnight, killing one person and injuring at least 10 others, local officials said Thursday.
The attacks came after US President Donald Trump on Monday gave Moscow 50 days to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.
According to Serhii Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian air defenses shot down 22 drones, but several still hit targets, causing fires and damage to civilian infrastructure.
“One person died in Dnipro. Five others, aged between 35 and 52, were taken to the hospital. Three of them are in serious condition,” Lysak wrote on Telegram. A 70-year-old man was also wounded but will recover at home, he added.
Fires broke out in several locations in Dnipro, and some businesses were damaged. Outside the city, the Dnipro district was also hit, including the Solone and Slobozhanske communities. A farm building and greenhouse were destroyed in the attack.
In the Nikopol district, Russian forces used FPV drones, MLRS rockets, and explosives dropped by drones, hitting the city of Nikopol and the Marhanets community.
Five more people were hurt in that area – four of them, including a 58-year-old woman, were hospitalized in moderate condition. A 21-year-old man was treated at home. A car caught fire, and a private house and farm building were badly damaged.
Russian drones also targeted the Mezhova community in Synelnykove district, damaging local infrastructure.
The attacks are part of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which began with its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The attacks come amid a sharp escalation in Russian aerial strikes. Over the past two months, Russia has been launching over 500 drones at Ukraine almost daily, often in near-nightly waves. On July 9, Ukraine reported a record assault, with 741 aerial targets launched in a single night.
On July 14, Trump announced that the US and its NATO allies had agreed to a deal under which American weapons would be sent to Ukraine, with alliance members covering the cost. The next day, he said missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot systems were already being shipped from Germany.
He also gave Russia a 50-day deadline to end the war, warning of “very severe tariffs” if it does not comply.
Russia quickly rejected Trump’s ultimatum. “Any attempts to make demands, especially ultimatums, are unacceptable to us,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday.