Russian Drone Strikes Kill Seven in Ukraine as Kyiv Hits Rostov

The Russian Armed Forces launched a massive wave of 173 attack drones across Ukraine over a 24-hour period ending September 26, 2026. The Ukrainian air force neutralized 134 of these drones, but strikes killed at least seven people and injured dozens. In Kyiv, attacks hit a high-rise in the Pecherskyi district, injuring 20 people including a child, and struck Lyceum No. 2 in Ivankiv, causing a fire that damaged 300 square meters of the school. Other strikes targeted Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson, and Sumy, killing several civilians and damaging 86 sites in Zaporizhzhia alone.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned a double strike on a McDonald's logistics facility, stating that such attacks undermine international investment. Simultaneously, President Vladimir Putin denied that Moscow is preparing for hostilities with Europe, despite security concerns raised by Baltic states.

In a reciprocal escalation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched drone strikes against the Rostov region of Russia on September 25. Governor Yury Slyusar reported that air defenses neutralized 30 drones, but several crashed into residential buildings in Taganrog and Azov, injuring five people including a child. The attacks also damaged a school, a cultural center, and the Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant, which was forced to temporarily suspend operations.