Ukraine launched a massive new wave of drone attacks on March 17 that reportedly killed two people as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv, injuring five people, local officials said. Sumy in the east was also hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage. The attack temporarily shut down three Moscow airports.
According to the Defense Ministry, another two drones were shot down over the Kaluga region south of the Russian capital and the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow. More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov, and Krasnodar regions.
The attack on Belgorod killed a 16-year-old girl and severely injured her father, local officials said. Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, has been shelled for the past three days, with at least six people killed, local officials said.
RFE/RL is unable to independently confirm death and injury counts on either side of the conflict.
In Krasnodar, Ukraine struck the Slavyansk refinery, triggering a fire and killing one person.
The attack is the latest against Russia's refining industry as Kyiv seeks to disrupt gasoline and jet-fuel supplies to the Russian armed forces as well as oil-product exports. Oil exports account for the lion's share of Russia's federal budget revenues.
Overall, Ukraine has increased the frequency of drone attacks inside Russia as it seeks to bring the Kremlin-launched war to the Russian people. Ukraine has invested heavily in its nascent drone industry as the weapon plays an increasingly important role in the war.
In Mykolayiv, at least two ballistic missiles landed in the city, injuring five and damaging homes and cars, according to local officials.
In Sumy near the Russian border, infrastructure came under fire. Russia has fired more than 800 artillery rounds at Sumy in recent days, or half of what it fired at the region last year.
Russia has been ramping up production of shells and rockets as it pours money into defense spending.
Russia has ramped up air and ground attacks against Ukrainian forces in recent months to take advantage of its superiority in weapons and people. Ukraine is suffering from a lack of manpower and ammunition at the moment amid Kyiv’s failure to pass a new mobilization bill and Washington’s failure to pass a $60 billion aid package for the embattled country.
Kyiv needs to mobilize several hundred thousand people, a politically unpopular move, if it hopes to drive back Russian forces, experts say. Kyiv could pass a new bill as early as the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress could vote in the coming weeks on a new bill that would unleash aid to Ukraine. U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Ukraine could face serious setbacks if it does not receive U.S. aid soon.
