09 September,2026 04:02 PM IST | Moscow | mid-day online correspondent
An emergency services specialist works on the site of a destroyed mall following Ukrainian drone strikes, in Mariupol, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on Monday. PIC/AFP
Russia said its forces shot down 596 Ukrainian drones overnight as the war saw another surge in aerial attacks.
Meanwhile, Russian strikes in Ukraine killed two people at a border crossing with Moldova and injured several others, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling for a stronger international response.
Russia's Defence Ministry said the drones were intercepted across multiple regions, including over the Black Sea and Crimea.
The Ukrainian drone attacks left four people dead, including a child, in Novorossiysk in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram.
"Our military repelled a massive overnight enemy drone attack against the region, with Novorossiysk hit the hardest," he said.
The reported Russian casualties came as Ukraine faced a fresh wave of Russian drone strikes.
Two civilians were killed in a Russian drone strike at the Starokozache international road checkpoint on Ukraine's border with Moldova in the Odesa region, regional Governor Oleg Kiper said.
"Tonight, enemy drones attacked the Starokozache international road checkpoint on the border with Moldova," Kiper wrote on social media.
"Sadly, there are casualties among the civilians who were near the checkpoint: according to preliminary information, two people were killed and three wounded."
The attack forced the closure of the checkpoint, around 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of Kyiv. A Moldovan driver was also injured, according to Moldova's foreign ministry.
Zelenskyy said 16 people were evacuated by rescuers and that operations at the crossing had been suspended.
He also said a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Kyiv on Wednesday morning, injuring four people. Rescue teams extinguished the fire, he said.
"This morning in Kyiv, a Russian drone struck an apartment building. Four people were injured. As always, our rescuers responded swiftly, and the fire has now been extinguished," Zelenskyy said.
He added that efforts were underway to deal with the aftermath of Russian attacks in the Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions.
Zelenskyy criticised the international community over what he described as an inadequate response to Russia's continuing strikes.
"Unfortunately, there has been too little response from the international community to these strikes, which are taking people's lives practically every day," he said.
"But a response is needed - Moscow must not go into the winter believing that it can get away with missile and drone terror without consequences. The aggression must be stopped here and now, before it spreads any further," the Ukrainian President stated.
Zelenskyy said sanctions and international support for Ukraine needed to work effectively towards stopping the Russian aggression.
"The partners who can help know exactly what is needed every day. And I thank everyone who is helping to the best of their ability," he stated.
The latest attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump about efforts to resolve the conflict.
Washington has been pushing for face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv has said talks could happen this month, but the Kremlin has said it is "too early" to discuss a venue or dates.
On Monday, Zelenskyy described the territorial issue as "relevant" to efforts to end the conflict following talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed Trump's efforts to bring peace to the region.
"We welcome the efforts of American President Trump," he said.
Peskov also maintained that Russia had never wanted the war.
"We actually never wanted this war. What we're trying to do, we're trying to stop the war that was launched before, and it was not launched by us," he said.
(With AFP and ANI inputs)
