Ukrainian, Aug 02 (V7N) - Ukrainian drone attacks have resulted in three deaths in Russia, while Russian drone and missile strikes continue to cause casualties and damage in Ukraine, deepening the ongoing conflict.

Russian officials reported on Saturday that Ukrainian drone attacks overnight killed three people. One person died in the Rostov region near the Ukrainian border, another in the Penza region, and an elderly resident was killed in the Samara region due to falling drone debris that sparked a fire. Russia's Defense Ministry stated that 112 drones were intercepted or destroyed across eight Russian regions and the annexed Crimean Peninsula. Governors also reported damage to industrial facilities in several regions. Ukrainian authorities later confirmed they had targeted key sites in Russia's energy and defense sectors, including oil refineries and an electronics manufacturer, in retaliation for earlier Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the air force reported that Russia launched 53 drones and decoys overnight into Saturday, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down or jamming 45 of them. Eleven people were wounded in an overnight drone strike on the Kharkiv region. This followed a day of mourning in Kyiv on Friday, after a Russian drone and missile attack on Thursday killed 31 people, including five children, and wounded over 150. Separately, a Russian drone strike in Ukraine's Sumy region killed one child and severely injured another on August 2.

The continued hostilities come as efforts for peace gain renewed international attention. U.S. President Donald Trump has set an August 8 deadline for progress in peace efforts, and a special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is heading to Russia to push for a ceasefire, with threats of new economic sanctions if progress is not made.

Amidst the conflict, public frustration over Ukraine’s mobilization drive is growing. In the west-central city of Vinnytsia, protesters gathered late Friday to demand the release of men detained by military enlistment offices, eventually breaking into a stadium where conscripts were being held for medical examinations and other mobilization procedures. Regional military recruitment officials described the civilian gathering as aggressive and noted attempts to illegally enter the temporary assembly point and disturb public order.

END/WD/RH/