Russia's attacks spark petrol station fire, injure several in Ukraine, officials say

A series of overnight Russian strikes across southeastern Ukraine ignited fires, injured civilians, and damaged homes, marking another escalation in the conflict just a day after the year’s deadliest missile attack in Sumy.

Overnight strikes by Russian forces ignited a fire at a petrol station in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, injured at least eight people, and caused widespread damage to residential areas, regional officials reported on Monday.

According to Ivan Fedorov, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, the blaze at the petrol station followed a drone strike. While no casualties were reported from the fire itself, Fedorov shared an image on Telegram showing a structure engulfed in flames during the night. It remains unclear whether the station was a direct target or if the fire was caused by debris from a downed drone. Russia has not commented.

Elsewhere, a Russian drone attack on Odesa, a key Black Sea port, left seven civilians wounded and damaged several homes along with a medical facility, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a 53-year-old man sustained injuries from Russian artillery shelling in the Nikopol district, regional governor Serhiy Lysak reported.

The full extent of the attacks remains uncertain, as Ukraine’s Air Force typically provides official strike data later in the day.

These latest assaults follow a deadly missile strike on Sunday, when two Russian ballistic missiles struck the northern city of Sumy, killing 34 and injuring 119 in what officials described as the deadliest attack in Ukraine so far this year.

Despite recent agreements brokered in March by the United States—aimed at preventing attacks on energy infrastructure—both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of repeatedly violating the ceasefire accords. There has been no response from Russia regarding the latest incidents.

While both sides claim they do not target civilians, thousands of non-combatants—primarily Ukrainians—have lost their lives since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

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