Russian drone strike on Ukrainian market kills five, Moscow intensifies attacks

A Russian drone strike on a covered market in Nikopol, eastern Ukraine, killed five men and wounded 19 others on Saturday. The attack is part of an intensified Russian campaign of daytime strikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and population centers. Ukraine's air force intercepted 260 of 286 drones Russia launched overnight, though some attacks continue to get through defenses. The repeated targeting of civilian markets and public spaces reflects Moscow's strategy of sustained pressure against Ukrainian cities beyond active front lines. Such strikes have become a regular occurrence as Russia seeks to degrade Ukrainian morale and strain the country's air defense capabilities.