KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian artillery strikes in the Kherson region of Ukraine claimed the lives of two individuals, local authorities announced, as the two nations engaged in a series of drone offensives throughout Friday night, into the early hours of Saturday.

Two additional individuals sustained injuries in the shelling near the regional capital, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of the partially occupied Kherson region.

In Russia’s southern Rostov province, a drone strike by Ukrainian forces sparked a significant fire at an oil depot situated in the Tsimlyansky District on Saturday morning. The attack marked Kyiv’s latest long-range offensive against Russian border territories.

Ukraine has recently increased its aerial attacks on Russian infrastructure, especially oil refineries and storage facilities, in an attempt to slow down Russia’s military operations. Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to exert pressure along Ukraine's eastern front lines as the prolonged war enters its third year, with Ukrainian defenders facing challenges in manpower and supplies.

Rostov region’s governor, Vasily Golubev, reported that the drone attack resulted in a fire covering an area of 200 square meters (around 2,100 square feet). Fortunately, no injuries were recorded, and the fire was successfully contained approximately five hours after it had been reported on Telegram.

The Russian Defense Ministry also stated Saturday that two drones were neutralized over the Rostov region. Additionally, Russian air defenses brought down two more drones overnight in the western Kursk and Belgorod regions.

In response, Ukraine's air defense forces managed to intercept four out of five Russian drones launched overnight, according to a statement released by the Ukrainian Air Force on Saturday morning. Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk confirmed that the fifth drone had exited Ukrainian airspace, heading toward Belarus.

On another front, Saturday saw further grim news from the eastern Donetsk region, where Ukrainian governor Vadym Filashkin revealed that Russian military strikes the previous day had resulted in six fatalities and 22 injuries.

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