Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to enhance air defence capabilities in the cities of Odessa and Dnipro in response to intensified Russian aerial assaults. In a video address, Zelensky outlined that Dnipro would receive additional radar systems, electronic jamming equipment, and increased personnel to bolster its defences. He also confirmed that measures were underway for Odessa, noting that interception rates of incoming attacks were improving but needed to be further increased.

The southeastern industrial city of Dnipro has experienced repeated missile and drone strikes in recent days, while the broader Black Sea port region surrounding Odessa remains a frequent target of Russian combat drones. Zelensky emphasized that these frequent, large-scale attacks appear designed to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defence systems. Since the onset of the conflict over four years ago, Ukraine has been gradually upgrading from Soviet-era air defence technology to more modern Western equipment.

In a separate incident, a Russian drone attack on a minibus in the southern city of Kherson resulted in the deaths of a man and a woman, according to Kherson military governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Seven other individuals, including six men and one woman, were injured in the early morning strike and subsequently hospitalized. Prokudin provided these details through his Telegram channel.

The ongoing conflict continues to subject key Ukrainian cities to sustained aerial threats, prompting an urgent response from government officials to reinforce defensive systems and protect civilian populations.