Ukraine Reports Highest Daily Rate of Russian Shelling This Year

Russia shelled more than 100 Ukrainian settlements over the past 24 hours, more than on any day this year so far, according to Kyiv.

Overnight attacks in the northeastern Kharkiv region killed one person, and another was killed in the southern Kherson region, local officials said.

Commenting on the attacks, Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a post on social media: “Over the last 24 hours, the enemy shelled 118 settlements in 10 regions.

“This is the highest number of cities and villages that have come under attack since the start of the year.”

Kyiv also reported a Russian attack on an oil refinery in Kremenchuk, a central industrial city, AFP reports.

There were no casualties but it took almost 100 firefighters several hours to put out the resulting blaze, Klymenko said.

Moscow has fired millions of artillery shells on Ukrainian cities, towns and villages along the frontlines since it launched its offensive last February, reducing several across the eastern part of the country to rubble.

Ukraine's air force also said Wednesday it shot down 18 of 20 Russian drones that were launched overnight, while Russia's defence ministry said it shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk and Kursk regions, which border Ukraine.

Kyiv and the West fear Russia will escalate their attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the cold winter – as Moscow did last year.