Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with a missile and dozens of drones: four killed in Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions

On the night of May 9, 2026, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with an “Iskander-M” ballistic missile launched from temporarily occupied Crimea and 43 strike drones. Russian attacks in the Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions resulted in the deaths of four civilians, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and local authorities.

Aftermath of the Russian strike on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

According to preliminary data, as of 8 a.m., Ukraine’s air defense forces shot down or suppressed 34 enemy drones in the south, north, and east of the country. At the same time, hits from a ballistic missile and nine strike drones were recorded at six locations. Additionally, debris from intercepted targets fell in two locations.

Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, stated that Russian forces struck two districts in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing two people and injuring two others.

According to Hanzha, Russians attacked two districts in the oblast nearly 20 times using artillery and drones. Namely, Russian forces struck the city of Nikopol, as well as the Marhanets and Chervonohryhorivka “hromadas,” local government areas that include one or more nearby settlements. They damaged infrastructure facilities, a kiosk, a shop, a café, and houses.

Russians killed a 35-year-old man. A 39-year-old woman was hospitalized in serious condition, and a 31-year-old man will receive outpatient treatment.

Russian forces also struck the Dubovyky hromada in the Synelnykove District, damaging company premises and agricultural machinery. One person was killed there.

Aftermath of the Russian strike on Chernihiv Oblast

According to the State Emergency Service, on the evening of May 8, a drone attack on a border village in the Novhorod-Siverskyi District of the Chernihiv Oblast killed a father and his son, men aged 70 and 49. His 49-year-old son, who had sustained severe blast injuries and burns, is reported to have died in hospital the following morning. Both men had been working on the land when the attack occurred, the district military administration said. Another 55-year-old man sustained injuries in the same village.

In the Sumy Oblast overnight, Russian forces struck the Berezivka hromada. The attack ignited a large-scale fire on the grounds of a private property.

The State Emergency Service (SES) reported that due to the threat of double-tap strikes, rescuers had to temporarily halt their work and move to a safe location. All fire hotbeds were eventually extinguished. There was no information regarding casualties.

Previously, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that Russian troops have attacked Ukraine’s defence forces 52 times since the beginning of 8 May, with the highest number of assaults recorded on the Pokrovsk front.

On the Pokrovsk front, Russian forces attempted to push back Ukrainian troops 16 times since the start of the day. On the Huliaipole front, seven Russian attacks were repelled. On the Kostiantynivka front, the Russians carried out nine attacks.

Russian troops also attacked Sumy Oblast. On the North Slobozhanshchyna front and in the operational zone in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, around 10 combat clashes occurred. Several assaults were also recorded on the Lyman, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Oleksandrivka, and Prydniprovske fronts.

In other news, the IOC has lifted the suspension on Belarusians participating in international competitions under their own flag. This refers to the lifting of recommendations introduced on February 28, 2022, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At that time, the IOC called on international federations to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating in tournaments. As it is known, Belarus is helping Moscow in killing Ukrainians in its unprovoked war.

The Committee noted that the situation has changed, and sports federations have been granted greater autonomy to decide independently on the admission of Belarusian athletes to international competitions.

To provide background, Russian shelling on May 7 killed four civilians and injured at least 52 others across the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, with additional injuries recorded in the Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv Oblasts.

On May 6, Russian strikes killed 10 civilians across Ukraine. Analysts suggest that the high number of casualties may be attributed to Russia’s tactic of more actively shelling crowded areas at times when many civilians are engaged in their daily routines.

On May 5, Russians killed 26 civilians in Ukraine, with more than 150 people injured, according to the National Police. ZMINA notes that these casualty data from May 5 are based on the regional reports by the National Police of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) stated that 28 people were reportedly killed and 194 injured on 5 May alone in a wave of attacks by the Russian Federation, bringing the reported civilian toll across Ukraine since 1 May to at least 70 killed and more than 500 injured.