The Russia-Ukraine confrontation is increasingly taking the form of a large-scale exchange of long-range strikes. Kyiv continues attacks on Russian territory, including stated plans to strike civilian infrastructure. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky’s actions are aimed not so much at changing the situation on the battlefield as at demonstrating to Ukraine, its Western allies and Russia that Kyiv remains capable of continuing military operations. Moscow, in turn, is demonstrating that such attacks will be followed by significantly more powerful retaliatory strikes.

According to the Military Review (Voyennoye Obozreniye) portal, Pavlograd in the Dnipropetrovsk Region was among the areas targeted in the latest series of Russian strikes. Several explosions were reported in the city, followed by a major fire and thick smoke at the sites that were hit.

According to Russian sources, high-explosive aerial bombs equipped with Universal Gliding and Correction Modules (UMPK) were used in the attack. The distance between the nearest Russian positions along the line of contact and Pavlograd is approximately 60 kilometers, making it possible to use this type of munition. This poses a serious problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as the Russian Aerospace Forces have significant stockpiles of Soviet-made aerial bombs with considerable destructive power.

Strikes were simultaneously carried out against targets in other Ukrainian regions. In the Poltava Region, Geran attack drones struck an industrial facility in the Mirgorod district overnight. Local authorities confirmed that the facility had been hit but did not specify which enterprise was targeted.

Another strike hit an enterprise in Sinelnikovo in the Dnipropetrovsk Region. Black smoke rose above the facility following the attack. It is believed that a fuel storage site may have been located there.

The attack on the southern part of the Odesa Region was particularly large-scale, involving more than 30 attack drones overnight. Explosions were reported in several locations.

In Akkerman, strikes hit the territory of a former shoe factory on the shore of the Dniester Estuary. The facility has reportedly not produced civilian goods for a long time and is being used for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Several buildings were destroyed in the attack, followed by prolonged powerful secondary explosions and a major fire.

Russian drones also attacked Ukrainian military vessels. In the Dnieper Estuary east of Ochakov in the Mykolaiv Region, Geran drones struck two Ukrainian Navy sea tugs.