Russian strikes killed at least eight people and wounded dozens across Ukraine on Saturday, local officials said, as Russian president Vladimir Putin warned that any deployment of European troops to Ukraine would amount to ‘a war with Russia’.
Separately, Zelenskyy in an interview said that he would meet Putin if both were invited to the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December. Regional governors did not immediately comment, while Russian independent online outlet Astra reported drone attacks on chemical plants in both regions.
Two people were killed and one wounded after Russian drones struck a residential area overnight in Zaporizhzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov said. In Kryvyi Rih, one person was killed and three others wounded, according to local officials. In Odesa and the surrounding area, 35 people were wounded in what regional head Oleh Kiper described as a “massive attack”. Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck two chemical industry facilities in Russia, in Samara and Perm. That means a war with Russia,” he said. “We do not threaten, nor do we intend to threaten, European countries,” he said. Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the possibility of Putin attending had not yet been discussed. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was “ready for negotiations”, but added that the “special military operation” would not be suspended during the talks.
Ukraine is facing an intensifying Russian air campaign involving ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, with Moscow also targeting the country’s power infrastructure ahead of winter. Ukrainian officials have claimed that the attacks are aimed at demoralising civilians. A residential high-rise was among the buildings hit, with its upper floors completely destroyed. Three more people were killed after cars were hit by drones in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region. “Now they’re talking about how they’re considering sending troops into Ukraine. Several European leaders have pledged support for a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine, a prospect Moscow has repeatedly rejected. Putin also denied that Russia posed a threat to Europe, saying, “there is no such threat and never has been. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Later on Saturday, two people were killed in a Russian attack on a grocery store in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, local officials said. Speaking to reporters at the Brics summit in India on Friday, Putin said European governments sending troops into Ukraine would mean direct conflict with Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, “If he really wants to meet with Putin, Putin has already said that he could fly to Moscow.