Russian strikes killed six people in Ukraine on February 23
The National Police reported that as a result of Russian military shelling on February 23, 2026, six civilians were killed in the Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions, and more than three dozen others were injured, specifically in the Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.
A broken window in a house in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that was hit by Russian shellingThe victims of the Russian strikes on February 23 were:
- A man and a woman in the Odesa Oblast, which was struck by Russian drones on the night of February 23;
- A man from Kherson, who did not survive a morning Russian artillery strike on one of the city’s districts;
- A pensioner from Orikhiv, who was killed by a Russian drone strike;
- An elderly woman and a 35-year-old man from two districts in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which Russia targeted with drones, artillery, and guided aerial bombs.
Many civilians were also injured due to enemy shelling, with the highest number in the Kharkiv Oblast. At least seven local residents were injured as a result of strikes on the regional center and border settlements.
In the Kherson Oblast, six people were injured. Among them were two police officers and an elderly man from the regional center, who had his foot amputated after detonating a Russian “petal” mine. These mines are one of the most common types of explosives in Ukraine, resulting from the full-scale war. “Petals” are primarily found in areas struck by multiple launch rocket systems, but not exclusively in such locations.
The daily report for the Kherson region also included a woman who was injured by the Russian military back on February 22.
In the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, six people were injured on February 23 due to Russian strikes, including a six-year-old child. Similarly, six victims were reported in the Donetsk Oblast over the past day.
The National Police reported that as a result of Russian military shelling on February 23, 2026, six civilians were killed in the Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions, and more than three dozen others were injured, specifically in the Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regionsAt least three people were injured during an overnight Russian strike on the Odesa Oblast, with two more victims reported in both the Dnipro and Mykolaiv Oblasts.
To provide background, Russian shelling killed three people in Ukraine on February 22, and over the nearly four years of the war, more than 15,000 civilians have been killed.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting lasting peace in Ukraine on February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with 107 countries voting in favor and the United States not among them.
Ukraine initiated the resolution. The document called for an immediate ceasefire and reaffirmed the need to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
The resolution also called for a full exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all persons who had been illegally held by Russia, and the return of civilians.
In total, 107 countries supported the resolution. Twelve voted against: Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Eritrea, Mali, Sudan, Nicaragua, and Niger.
Fifty-one countries abstained, including the United States of America, China, Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Ukrinform news agency reported that the U.S. also tried to amend the resolution, including removing points on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the need to achieve a just peace. The General Assembly rejected the U.S. proposals. Sixty-nine countries voted against, 11 voted in favor, and 62 abstained.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on media reports that the United States aims to end the Russian-Ukrainian war by July 4, noting that he had not heard such information.
At a briefing with journalists following a summit of leaders from Ukraine, the Nordic countries, and the Baltics, Zelenskyy noted that the US delegation at trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and Russia had expressed Washington’s desire to end the war as soon as possible.
According to the President, Ukraine supports a quick end to the war, but not if it requires giving up its territories.
“Today we often talk about a ‘fast track’ regarding the EU, and we certainly support a ‘fast track’ regarding the end of the war. But there is no mention of a ‘fast track’ being linked to us giving up part of our territories and so on,” the President replied.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson believes that there is currently no real chance of achieving peace in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
According to Johnson, on one side of the “peace negotiations” table sits Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, “who has repeatedly shown that he has no intention of truly seeking peace.”
“There is no evidence that any of this is real. Some of the proposed plans currently look like purely abstract considerations. And I do not think we have a real chance of achieving peace,” European Pravda news outlet cited Johnson as saying at a special YES meeting organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Johnson also pointed out that Ukraine’s allies are currently applying “about a tenth of the pressure that needs to be exerted on Putin to force him to seriously sit down at the negotiating table.”
