Russian attacks kill one, injure four in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions

Russian attacks killed one person and injured four others in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts on 26 March 2026, according to Ivan Fedorov, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, Yaroslav Shanko, head of the Kherson City Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, and Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration. 

According to Fedorov, three people had been injured in attacks on the Polohy and Zaporizhzhia Districts.

Fedorov also said that a Russian drone struck the village of Kushuhum in Zaporizhzhia Oblast near a public transport stop, injuring two women on March 27.

“Two women are injured — the enemy struck near a public transport stop in the Zaporizhzhia District. The Russians attacked Kushuhum with a drone. The explosion occurred near a public transport stop,” he reported, and added that the injured women, aged 72 and 52, are receiving the necessary medical assistance.

In total, Russian forces conducted 971 strikes on 42 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In particular, the Russians carried out 17 airstrikes, deployed 717 drones, launched four attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems, and carried out 233 artillery strikes.

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Police received 110 reports of damage to infrastructure facilities, housing, cars, and outbuildings.

Meanwhile, dozens of settlements in Kherson Oblast came under Russian attacks, including Kherson, Antonivka, Komyshany, Prydniprovske, and Bilozerka.

Russian forces targeted critical and social infrastructure as well as residential areas. The attacks damaged two high-rise residential buildings, 10 houses, an office building, a farm, a warehouse, and cars.

Prokudin said that one person had been killed and another injured in the Kherson “hromada,” a local government area that includes one or more nearby settlements, as a result of the attacks. 

Furthermore, the Russian occupiers killed one resident of the Donetsk Oblast in Lyman. Another person was injured. Officials noted that the total casualty figures for the region are reported excluding Mariupol and Volnovakha.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with 102 drones on the night of 26-27 March. Ukrainian air defense systems destroyed 93 UAVs, although hits have been recorded at eight locations.

In other news, a delegation of Russian deputies has visited the United States for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. On March 26, the delegates met with a bipartisan group of five members from both the Republican and Democratic parties. The meeting was initiated by Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who has faced significant criticism for her anti-Ukrainian stance and her opposition to military aid for Kyiv.

The visit takes place against the backdrop of an effective freeze in U.S.-mediated negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in an interview with Le Monde that Ukraine sees no willingness on Russia’s part to end the war and called for increased pressure on Moscow, while the United States believes Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is seeking a way to end it, highlighting a difference in views between the two sides.

“We do not see any genuine desire from Russia to end the war, and we share this view with our partners. The United States believes that Putin wants the war to end. Our views here are completely different,” the head of the Ukrainian state said. 

Zelenskyy noted that differences in views on Russia’s intentions are not inherently problematic. However, Ukraine, focused on ending the war as soon as possible, is calling for continued pressure on Russia.

“We know that Putin does not want to end the war. We call for additional pressure to make him want to. But the U.S. believes he wants to end it, so why apply extra pressure if Russia is showing it is also ready for peace?” the President said.

U.S. President Donald Trump took office pledging to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours — a promise that went unfulfilled. Since returning to the White House, his administration has eased sanctions on Russian oil and repeatedly sided with Moscow in war talks, prompting critics and some analysts to argue that U.S. policy has increasingly aligned with Russian interests.

Zelenskyy has been criticized by politicians and constitutionalists for his plan to submit territorial questions to a referendum in Ukraine, as Ukrainian law forbids such referendums. Ukrainian legislation strictly prohibits the ceding of any territories of Ukraine; such actions are classified as high treason under the Criminal Code of Ukraine.