Ukraine-Russia conflict intensifies as Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russian infrastructure and economy

Ukraine and Russia continued exchanging attacks, with Ukrainian forces launching drone and missile strikes on Russian targets. Night‑time attacks on Kyiv involved dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles, killing at least ten civilians in the capital and five elsewhere. Ukrainian operations also targeted Russian energy facilities, logistics nodes, factories producing military components, and vessels in the Black Sea and Azov Sea, disrupting fuel supplies and causing shortages across Russia.

The intensified strike campaign has deepened financial pressures on Russia. Russian banks are demanding higher interest rates as the finance ministry struggles to fund the war, leading to a suspension of bond sales and yields of 13‑17 %. The central bank’s key rate sits at 14.25 %. Oil‑related equities fell about 30 % after repeated drone attacks on refineries, while grain export drives were hampered by attacks on shipping and storage facilities, further straining the Russian economy.