Russian overnight strike: at least five killed, over 30 injured; rail Infrastructure targeted in three regions (updated)

As a result of Russian shelling on the night of May 5, 2026, in the Poltava, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions, civilian casualties and injuries have been reported by regional military administrations and the State Emergency Service (SES), as well as the destruction of infrastructure, specifically railway infrastructure.

Following the initial strike in the Poltava region, Russia launched a second attack targeting first responders, killing two: rescuers Dmytro Skryl and Hero of Ukraine Viktor Kuzmenko.

At least four people were killed in the Poltava Oblast. Following the initial strike, Russia launched a second one targeting responders, killing two more rescuers, Dmytro Skryl and Hero of Ukraine Viktor Kuzmenko.

Under the leadership of a Hero of Ukraine, Viktor Kuzmenko, 17 people were saved following the 2024 strike on Poltava. He participated in more than 50 operations to mitigate the consequences of shelling and prevent technological disasters, personally extinguishing fires at critical infrastructure sites.

Dmytro Skryl, a firefighter-rescuer – in service with the SES for over 20 years. He repeatedly participated in extinguishing complex fires at oil and gas industry facilities caused by enemy shelling. Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said that he was a responsible and professional rescuer who knew his job well and performed it even in the most difficult situations.

Dmytro Skryl and Hero of Ukraine Viktor Kuzmenko

As a result of the Russian strike, an industrial enterprise was damaged. 3,480 subscribers have been left without a gas supply in the Poltava Oblast.

As for the injured, their number reached over 30 by morning, with some in critical condition.

Three Naftogaz employees were killed in two regions, the company stated.

“They struck treacherously and brutally – with UAVs and ballistics. We have significant destruction and losses in production,” Naftogaz Ukraine commented.

In the Kharkiv Oblast, Russians killed one person and injured four others. 

Additionally, during the night, the Russians struck the railway in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions; as a result, some trains were temporarily halted, and passengers were shielded from drones.

In the Kyiv Oblast, three people were wounded as a result of the attack. Strikes were reported in the residential sector of the Brovary district and an industrial facility in the Vyshhorod District.

“Absolute cynicism – to ask for silence for propaganda celebrations and to deliver such missile and drone strikes on all the days leading up to it,” – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Russia’s night strikes and the “truce” Putin asked for on May 9.

To provide background, the previous night, Russia struck the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, where there were also casualties.