Russian drone and missile strikes killed five people and injured dozens across Ukraine, while Kyiv said it targeted a port and an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region.
Around 430 drones and 68 missiles of different types were used in the Russian attack, primarily aimed at Kyiv’s energy infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 14, as his country marked its national volunteer day.
“Unfortunately, there have also been strikes and damage to ordinary homes, schools, and civilian businesses,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, urging the implementation of air defense agreements with Ukraine’s European partners.
The head of Kyiv’s military administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, said four people were killed across the region’s districts. He also said 15 others were injured. “Three of them are in serious condition, two are currently undergoing surgery,” he added.
Another person was reported killed in Zaporizhzhya, as local authorities said that at least five other Ukrainian regions were targeted by Russian strikes. Dozens more people were injured, including six teenagers.
A woman living in Zaporizhzhya, near the area hit by Russian forces, told RFE/RL that the strike caught residents off guard. “I was in the kitchen, wanting to bake pastries,” she said.
“When it hit, the windows in the kitchen, hall, and bedroom shattered. There was noise everywhere. I was injured while running away.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said on March 14 that it had hit the Afipsky oil refinery and the Kavkaz port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. The statement added that the strikes caused a fire at the oil refinery and damaged the port.
While Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident, Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels published user-generated videos that appeared to show explosions and smoke in the area.
The attack followed the United States’ decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil to stabilize the global energy markets amid its military campaign against Iran. Kyiv said the move could add around $10 billion to the Kremlin’s war chest.
With global attention drawn to the widening conflict in the Middle East, efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine have slowed, leaving the fate of ongoing talks uncertain as fighting along the front line continues.
On March 12, both Kyiv and Moscow confirmed that another round of trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States had been postponed, while on March 13, Ukraine’s military reported 153 clashes along the front lines during the day.
“Russia will try to take advantage of the war in the Middle East to cause more destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on March 14.
Additionally, as Kyiv has sought has sought to share its experience intercepting drones with partners in the Middle East, Tehran warned that Ukrainian territory could now be considered a “legitimate target” for Iranian forces.
Iran has long been an ally of Russia, supplying it with military equipment and technology in Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine. Kyiv earlier estimated that at least 57,000 Shahed drones were used in Russian attacks on the country since 2022.
