Drones Strike Odesa Amid Escalating Conflict
Russia has launched a large-scale drone assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to reports.
On Thursday night, powerful explosions were heard near civilian sites in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, while a series of 18 blasts caused widespread power outages in Odesa.
The attack in Odesa injured at least three people and damaged a high-rise apartment building and a shopping center, the regional governor reported. Meanwhile, the Sudzha gas pipeline near the Kursk-Sumy border, which Russia uses to transport gas to Europe, was also reportedly hit.
This comes despite Russian President Vladimir Putin telling Donald Trump earlier this week that he would halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as part of a proposed peace deal roadmap.
Intensified Strikes on Both Sides
Despite these discussions, attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities have persisted. Kyiv targeted Russia’s Engels strategic bomber base, while Russia carried out a series of drone strikes across eastern Ukraine. Overnight bombardments in the east killed two people, while Ukraine’s strike on the Engels airbase in Russia’s Saratov region caused fires and explosions.
Both Russia and Ukraine escalated aerial assaults in the early hours of Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump urged both nations to agree to a ceasefire after more than three years of conflict. Officials in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions confirmed that Russian forces dropped over three dozen glide bombs on border towns, killing two and injuring several others.
In central Ukraine, Russian drone strikes on the town of Kropyvnytskyi—hundreds of kilometers from the front lines—wounded 14 people and damaged rail infrastructure.
“Kropyvnytskyi experienced the most massive enemy attack. Peaceful residential buildings were destroyed,” regional governor Andriy Raikovych said.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 171 drones in the assault, with Ukrainian defenses shooting down 75. An additional 63 drones were neutralized by electronic jamming systems or lost.
Engels Airbase Targeted
Ukraine struck Russia’s Engels airbase in the Saratov region with attack drones overnight, igniting fires and causing explosions, according to Ukrainian military officials. The airbase houses Russian strategic bombers used in attacks against Ukraine and stores cruise missiles and glide bombs.
Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Moscow, emphasized the significance of the attack: “This is home to Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. While it has been targeted before, this is the largest strike seen since the war began in February 2022.” A state of emergency was declared, with regional authorities reporting 10 people injured and damage to 30 civilian homes and the city’s main hospital.
This latest wave of attacks follows Putin’s commitment to a 30-day pause in strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, though he has not agreed to a full ceasefire.
“It’s only a partial ceasefire, concerning energy sites in both countries, and it has yet to be implemented. Negotiations in Saudi Arabia will determine further details,” said Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig, reporting from Kyiv.
“For now, the fighting continues,” he added. “Ukraine’s red line remains: it will not recognize occupied territories as part of Russia. A resolution to the war is still far off.”
Peace Talks on the Horizon
On Thursday, the Kremlin announced that additional U.S.-Russia talks could occur on Sunday or early next week, coinciding with separate negotiations between Washington and Kyiv in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirmed Europe’s strong backing of Ukraine, regardless of ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Russia.
“We must continue our support with a clear stance that Ukraine deserves a just peace,” Scholz said before a European Union leaders’ summit on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, accused European nations of prioritizing military expansion over seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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