Russia pounds Ukraine with hundreds of drones, killing at least one person
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired more than 300 drones overnight into Saturday, along with more than 30 cruise missiles.
Advertisement
One person died when Russian forces attacked the Black Sea port city of Odesa with more than 20 drones and a missile, the city's mayor, Hennadii Trukhanov, said, while five people were rescued when a fire broke out in a residential high-rise building.
A residential building burns in Odesa (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)
According to Mr Zelensky, six other people were wounded in the attack on Odesa, including a child, and critical infrastructure was damaged in Ukraine's north-eastern Sumy region.
The Ukrainian president also thanked international leaders 'who understand how important it is to promptly implement our agreements' aimed at boosting Ukraine's defence capabilities, including joint weapons production, drone manufacturing, and the supply of air defence systems.
Moscow has been intensifying its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. It often batters Ukraine with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate.
Advertisement
On July 8, Russia unleashed more than 700 drones — a record.
Russia's Defence Ministry said it shot down 71 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 13 were shot down as they approached the Russian capital.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
34 minutes ago
- The Sun
Nato jets scrambled after Putin launches massive overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine
NATO member Poland has scrambled fighter jets after Russia's latest blitz on Ukraine. The jets took to the skies as Vladimir Putin sent the latest wave of kamikaze drones and rockets at Kyiv. 1 Five people, including a two-year-old girl, were injured in the strikes with shrapnel wounds after one bomb hit an apartment building. The Polish Ministry of Defence said the jets took off as a precautionary measure during the strikes. They said: "Polish and allied aircraft on standby were scrambled and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on the highest level of combat readiness." More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Starmer to have key Gaza meeting with Trump during state visit
Sir Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet US president Donald Trump at Turnberry on Monday for discussions covering Gaza, trade, and Ukraine. Sir Keir intends to press Donald Trump for a ceasefire in Gaza and to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians, amidst growing calls for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state. Donald Trump confirmed that the meeting would address the existing trade deal between the US and UK, and also extensively discuss Israel. The mini-summit follows a bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, where a trade deal was agreed. The meeting takes place against a backdrop of intensifying debate over the Middle East crisis, including a public disagreement between Sir Bob Geldof and Kemi Badenoch regarding aid to Gaza.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Former POWs in Russia channel their pain into rebuilding lives in Ukraine
Since his release from a Russian prison in April, Stanislav Tarnavskyi has been in a hurry to build the life in Ukraine he dreamed about during three years of captivity. The 25-year-old has proposed to his girlfriend, bought an apartment and adopted a golden retriever. And that was just what he accomplished one week in July. But as busy as he is rekindling old relationships and creating new ones, Tarnavskyi cannot shake the trauma he and thousands of other Ukrainian soldiers experienced as prisoners of war. The U.N. says many endured beatings, starvation and humiliation at the hands of their captors — experiences that will leave lifelong scars. Tarnavskyi, who was captured during the battle for Mariupol in April of 2022, regularly has nightmares about the prisons where he was held. 'I see the officers who watched over us. I dream they want to harm me, catch me,' he said. When he wakes up, his heart pounds, anxiety surges — until he realizes he is in the outskirts of Kyiv, where he was forced to move because Russia occupied his hometown of Berdiansk. As the three-year war drags on, Tarnavskyi is one of more than 5,000 former POWs back in Ukraine rehabilitating with the help of regular counseling. Regardless of any physical injuries that may require attention, psychologists say it is vital to monitor former POWs for years after their release; the cost of war, they say, echoes for generations. A marriage proposal In a photography studio high above Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, sunlight floods the white walls. After a shoot that lasted several hours Tarnavskyi said the brightness was hurting his eyes, which are still sensitive from years spent in a dark cell. But his mood couldn't be dimmed. The girlfriend who waited for his return had just consented to his surprise proposal. 'I love you very much, I am very glad that you waited for me," Tarnavskyi said, holding a thick bouquet of pink roses and a ring. "You have always been my support, and I hope you will remain so for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?' Tarnavskyi said it was the thought of Tetiana Baieva — whom he met in 2021 — that helped stop him from committing suicide three times during captivity. Still, he finds it hard to talk with Baieva about his time in prison. He doesn't want to be pitied. Soon after he returned home, he was paranoid, feeling watched — a reaction to constant surveillance in prison. 'If you stepped out of line, they'd (Russians) come and beat you. I still get flashbacks when I see (surveillance) cameras. If I see one, I get nervous,' he said. But with each passing week, he is feeling better, progress Tarnavskyi credits to the work he is doing with a psychologist. Lifelong care is vital Any small stimulus — a smell, a breeze, a color — can trigger traumatic memories for POWs, says Kseniia Voznitsyna, the director of Ukraine's Lisova Polyana mental health center for veterans on the outskirts of Kyiv. Yet contrary to stereotypes, ex-POWs aren't more aggressive. 'They tend to isolate themselves, avoid large gatherings, and struggle with trust,' said Voznitsyna. 'They say time heals — five or ten years, maybe — but it doesn't," she added. "It just feels less intense.' A 2014 study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that Israeli ex-POWs and combat veterans tracked over 35 years had higher mortality rates, chronic illnesses and worse self-rated health — conditions partly tied to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The authors of the study said that is why it is crucial to monitor ex-POWs and give them specialized medical and psychological care as they age. That logic rings true to Denys Zalizko, a 21-year-old former POW who has been back in Ukraine for less than three months but is already sure his recovery will take a long time. 'You can't fool yourself. Even if you really want to, you will never forget. It will always haunt you,' he said. An artist to be Zalizko survived torture, suicide attempts and relentless beatings during roughly 15 months in Russian captivity. The first time his mother, Maria Zalizko, saw him after his release, she barely recognized him. He was thin and appeared 'broken', she said, with torment in his eyes. Zalizko's physical appearance is now almost completely different. His skin looks healthy, his muscles are taut and he has lots of energy. But still there is sadness in his eyes. Two things keep him moving forward and help clear his mind: music and exercise. 'Pauses and stillness bring anxiety,' says Zalizko. Like Tarnavskyi, he is receiving mandatory counseling at the Lisova Polyana mental health center. And like many former POWs, he still battles hypervigilance — listening for threats, scanning his surroundings. At night, sleep comes in fragments, and that was true even before a recent uptick in nightly drone attacks by the Russian army. For the families of POWs, the reintegration process is also a struggle. A psychologist advised Maria Zalizko to give her son space, to avoid calling him too often. But it is Denys who often calls her, sometimes singing over the phone — a skill she taught him as a child. 'I love music. Music unites,' he said, touching the tattoo of a treble clef behind his ear — inked after his return. Even in captivity, he sang quietly to himself, composing songs in his mind about love, home and war. Now he dreams of turning that passion into a career as an artist. 'I've become stronger now,' Zalizko said. 'I'm not afraid of death, not afraid of losing an arm or a leg, not afraid of dying instantly. I fear nothing anymore.'
