Russian strikes kill three, injure 15 across Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions
On the morning of March 20, 2025, the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported that the death toll of the attack on Kupiansk, the Kharkiv Oblast, had risen to two people, as rescue workers found a deceased woman under the rubble.
“Rescue workers uncovered an 85-year-old woman’s body from under the rubble of a house… The Russian strikes killed two people and injured three others in Kupiansk,” the statement reads.
Law enforcement authorities are currently confirming the specific type of ammunition used to strike the city.
Earlier, the local authorities reported that on March 19, Russian army personnel launched a series of air strikes on the town. Later, the Prosecutor’s Office reported that Russians struck Kupiansk again around 20:50 with aircraft.
The attack killed a 51-year-old man, and injured another person with a blast injury. It damaged residential houses and a garage caught fire.
Oleh Syniehubov , Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, reported that Russia had launched a large-scale attack on Kupiansk with aircraft. The Russians used at least 20 guided aerial bombs over several hours of bombardment. The attack damaged critical infrastructure, and fires broke out in civilian facilities.
Moreover, on the night of March 20, a Russian drone strike struck a building in Kropyvnytskyy, a town about 300km і south of the capital, Kyiv.
Regional governor Arkady Raikovych said that his city had “survived the most massive enemy attack“, adding that the attack destroyed residential buildings.
Ukrainian police say Russian attacks injured 14 people, including seven children.
Across the country, Kyiv’s air defenses shot down 75 out of 171 Russian drones, officials said.
Russian strikes killed a man and injured two others in Kostyantynivka, the Donetsk Oblast, according to the regional governor.
After Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight killed two and wounded at least 10 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said despite Russia’s “propaganda statements” the attacks “do not stop”.
In a statement on Instagram, he thanked emergency workers for their efforts.
“With each such launch, the Russians show the world their true attitude towards peace.”
By way of background, Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, and Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has not .
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas assessed that the conditions demanded by Russia for any ceasefire in Ukraine show that Moscow doesn’t really want peace.
As BBC News noted , that runs in contrast to assertions by US President Donald Trump, who has presented an optimistic view of negotiations. He has said repeatedly that Putin is ready to strike a deal.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the EU “is standing in front of a strategic choice: to let the aggressor escalate the violence and fear, or to stop it“.
He added that it is “absolutely obvious” that Ukraine needs military assistance, and they are “ready to provide it,” but pressure on Russia needs to be increased.
“Our leadership does not depend on our rhetoric… our leadership depends on our decisions“. He also stresses a need to “re-arm” Europe.
Data obtained from a survey of the sociological service “Razumkov Center” indicates that most Ukrainians—78%—do not support the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from territories temporarily occupied by Russia, as demanded by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
