Russian missiles crippled Ukraine's largest steel plant

Russian forces struck Lakshmi Mittal's ArcelorMittal mining and metallurgical complex in Kryvyi Rih, killing two people and injuring 14 workers. This direct attack on Ukraine's largest integrated steel unit caused significant damage to core energy and blast-furnace operations, forcing a partial halt to production. The strike served as retaliation after Ukrainian drones flooded Russian airspace in one of the most intense aerial assaults since the conflict began. Industrial sites like this steel plant have frequently become strategic targets during wartime to paralyze economic output and logistical supply chains.

Ukrainian forces launched hundreds of drones across Russian territory, resulting in at least six deaths. Moscow's regional governor Andrey Vorobyov reported that an 83-year-old man died when a drone hit a private home in the Moscow region. Russian defence officials confirmed the interception of 822 drones overnight. Another drone sparked a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in Podolsk, an online retailer controlled by billionaire Tatyana Kim. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin noted that about 600 drones headed toward the capital, with a third destroyed over the region. Further south, Governor Yury Slyusar reported five fatalities in the Rostov region after more than 150 drones damaged homes and a railway station.

Civilian Infrastructure Targeted

President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the severe impact on civilian infrastructure, noting that Russian forces strike wherever their ballistic missiles can reach. Over the past week, Russian forces deployed more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles against Ukrainian cities. Beyond the steel plant, Russian strikes killed two people in Zaporizhzhia, one in Sumy, and another in Donetsk. In Kyiv, falling debris ignited a fire at a major book market near the Pochaina metro station, injuring six individuals.

Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed it targeted the metallurgical plant alongside several Kyiv facilities, including a manufacturing site for Flamingo missiles. These long-range weapons recently helped Ukraine hit a rocket research center in Samara, roughly 900 kilometers away. Meanwhile, Romania's Ministry of National Defence reported that a Spanish F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone that crossed into its airspace. Surveillance systems detected the drone 24 kilometers north of Galati, marking another border incident for the NATO member.

Image Courtesy: Gujarat Samachar