Ukrainian and Russian forces engaged in a clash involving drones and artillery fire on Thursday, resulting in at least seven fatalities, as confirmed by regional officials on both sides of the frontline.
The escalation in civilian casualties coincided with the intensified Russian military presence in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, leading up to events in Moscow on May 9 commemorating the Soviet Union's triumph in World War II.
A Ukrainian combat drone caused two fatalities in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, while two more individuals lost their lives due to Ukrainian artillery fire in the southern Kherson region, according to official reports.
Despite the Kremlin's claim of annexing both regions in late 2022, Russian forces are still engaged in ongoing battles to establish complete control over them.
Zaporizhzhia's Russian-appointed leader, Evgeny Balitsky, revealed on social media that a man and a woman were killed in a strike on a civilian vehicle, leaving their four young children orphaned. He assured that the children would receive care and psychological support.
In a separate statement, Kherson's Russian governor, Vladimir Saldo, disclosed that two additional casualties occurred as a result of Ukrainian fire in the village of Dnipryany.
The two frontline regions witnessed intense combat in 2022 and the summer of 2023, with Ukraine's counteroffensive falling short of expectations in Zaporizhzhia.
The focus of the conflict has now shifted to the eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow also claims as Russian territory.
Vadim Filashkin, the Ukrainian governor of Donetsk, reported three fatalities from separate shelling incidents in the villages of Udachne and Kurakhivka, with two and one casualties respectively. He emphasized that the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined.
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