Moscow [Russia], October 31: Military and political developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensified on Friday, with Russia reporting the interception of 113 Ukrainian drones over several regions and a strike on a military cargo vessel south of Odesa.
Ukraine's General Staff reported 211 combat engagements on Thursday, claiming Russian personnel losses of 1,590 over the past 24 hours.
Ukrinform reported that recent Russian attacks had left dozens of civilians dead and wounded in Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk, prompting Kyiv to declare mourning and call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, accused Ukrainian authorities of targeting personnel at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Attacks also affected energy infrastructure in both countries, with Russian strikes causing emergency power outages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry maintained that its strikes deep inside Russian territory constituted a legitimate response.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Ukrainian attacks had targeted three oil refineries and a petrochemical complex, warning of a limited impact on global diesel markets despite Russia's plans to increase exports.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended Russian military operations, saying they were intended to deprive Kyiv of its offensive capabilities.
On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Türkiye on Saturday at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss Black Sea security and developments in the conflict.
The visit comes as the Kremlin denied knowledge of US President Donald Trump's proposal for a possible three-way telephone call involving the leaders of Russia, the United States and Ukraine.
Source: Emirates News Agency
