10 Killed in Cross-Border Strikes as Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies

At least 10 people were killed on Monday in a series of aerial strikes across Russia and Ukraine, officials from both countries reported. Ukrainian drones struck targets in Russia, while Russian missile and drone attacks hit Ukrainian territory.

Four people were killed in Russia, including three in the Moscow region and one in the border town of Berezovka, Belgorod region, according to Russian officials. Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov said 81 drones were intercepted over the region. In the settlement of Pionersky, a drone struck a residential area, killing three and wounding three others. Images published by officials showed a destroyed house and apartment blocks with blown-out windows.

Ukraine reported six deaths from Russian strikes. In the southern port of Odesa, a Russian missile hit a civilian cargo ship flying the flag of Togo, killing three crew members as it unloaded fertilizer. Ukraine's Minister for Communities and Territorial Development, Oleksii Kuleba, condemned the attack on a civilian vessel. Two people were killed in Zaporizhzhia and one in the Kherson region from drone strikes, local officials said.

The strikes come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet with leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Germany in Paris as part of the 'Coalition of the Willing' to discuss ending the nearly four-and-a-half-year war. The Kremlin dismissed the meeting, calling it a 'coalition of the deluded and of warmongers.'

Both sides have intensified attacks in recent months. Russia has launched repeated ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, while Ukraine has targeted deeper into Russian territory, including with drone attacks that have caused fuel shortages. Diplomatic efforts led by the United States have stalled.

The conflict, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties and is Europe's largest conflict since World War II. Monday's attacks follow a pattern of escalating mutual strikes that have drawn international concern.