On the morning of Wednesday, October 25, Ukraine’s Kherson region was the target of Russian drone attacks and bombings, resulting in the death of at least one person. Drone debris in the Khmelnytskyi region also caused injuries to 18 people, two of whom were in serious condition.
These attacks follow an escalation of tensions between Ukraine and Russia, endangering the fragile ceasefire in force since November 2022. The towns of Kherson and Khmelnytskyi, which had been liberated by Ukrainian forces there almost a year ago, must now face new attacks and bombings.
The town of Beryslav in the Kherson region was particularly hard hit, with a 42-year-old man killed after a Russian airstrike hit his house. Local authorities also reported shelling in the city of Kherson, but have not yet reported any possible casualties.
In the Khmelnytskyi region, in western Ukraine, Russian drones targeted the town of Slavouta. Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses managed to shoot down the drones, but the debris caused material damage and injured 18 people, including two seriously injured. Residential buildings, houses, schools and administrative buildings were damaged.
These attacks are unfortunately not isolated. Since the start of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the country’s essential infrastructure has been regularly targeted, depriving millions of Ukrainians of water, heat and electricity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was preparing to respond to these attacks and defend its energy infrastructure.
This escalation of violence highlights the fragility of the situation in Ukraine and the urgent need to find a diplomatic solution to end the conflict. In the meantime, civilians continue to suffer the consequences of these attacks, in an already difficult context marked by numerous human losses and massive population displacements.
It is essential that the international community intensify its efforts to facilitate peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and find a peaceful and lasting resolution to this conflict which has persisted for too long. The stability of the region depends on it, as do the lives and well-being of the populations affected by the fighting and destruction.