Two fatalities occurred during a drone strike on the Russian town of Syzran in the Samara region along the Volga River, according to the local governor, as both Russia and Ukraine reported casualties from overnight cross-border attacks on May 21.
The town of Syzran, situated approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Ukraine’s border, houses a major oil refinery. Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev did not indicate whether any facilities sustained damage when announcing the incident on Telegram.
Additional drone strikes injured three individuals in and near Shebekino, a town in Russia’s Belgorod region that borders Ukraine, according to regional authorities posting on Telegram.
Ukrainian emergency services reported on Telegram that Russian strikes on the Chernihiv region near the Russian border and the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries.
Independent verification of these incidents by Reuters was not possible. Both Russia and Ukraine maintain they do not intentionally target civilian populations.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict that started with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine have reached an impasse, with both nations continuing to launch regular attacks against each other, including targeting energy facilities.
During an overnight address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned recent positive discussions with the United States, which has attempted to facilitate negotiations to end the conflict.
“If, in the coming weeks, we manage to return to meaningful trilateral communication and involve the Europeans, this would be the right outcome,” Zelenskiy said.
“For our part, we are ready for such steps. I count on our partners to be ready as well – and that the Russians will not hide.”
