Russian Strikes Kill Three in Ukraine as Putin Warns Against European Troop Deployment
Three civilians were killed and dozens wounded in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa. The attacks follow President Vladimir Putin's warning that deploying European troops to Ukraine would mean direct conflict with Russia, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to meet Putin at the upcoming G20 summit.
Russian military strikes killed three civilians and wounded dozens across Ukraine on Saturday, targeting residential areas in multiple cities. The attacks occurred shortly after President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning regarding the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine.
In Zaporizhzhia, two people were killed and one was wounded when Russian drones struck a residential area overnight. In Kryvyi Rih, one person died and three others were injured in separate strikes. A massive attack on Odesa and the surrounding region left thirty-five people wounded and destroyed the upper floors of a residential highrise building.
These incidents are part of an intensifying air campaign using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, which has placed mounting pressure on Ukraine. The targeting of infrastructure, including the power grid ahead of winter, appears intended to demoralize civilians.
The violence coincided with heightened diplomatic tensions. Speaking at the BRICS summit in India, President Putin stated that sending European troops into Ukraine would constitute "a war with Russia." Despite this warning, Putin denied that his country poses any threat to Europe, asserting that no such threat exists or has ever existed.
However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk cited recent border incidents as evidence of potential provocations. Tusk reported that two deaths resulted from drone strikes at the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday night. He noted that a direct threat to a Polish-Ukrainian crossing point was avoided on Wednesday night due to cooperation between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Amidst these developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated a willingness to engage directly with his Russian counterpart. Zelenskyy told Deutsche Welle that he would meet Putin if both leaders were invited to the Group of 20 (G20) summit scheduled for December in Miami. Conversely, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov stated that the possibility of Putin attending the G20 summit had not yet been discussed.