Russia unleashed one of its largest air assaults in months on Saturday, firing more than 600 drones and missiles at nine Ukrainian regions, killing at least three people and wounding dozens. The strikes coincided with Ukrainian attacks on two Russian oil refineries, intensifying the cross-border conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow launched 619 projectiles in total, including 579 drones, eight ballistic missiles, and 32 cruise missiles. He accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.

“The enemy aimed at our infrastructure, residential areas, and civilian enterprises,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “Every such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to terrorize civilians and destroy our infrastructure.”

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 552 drones, two ballistic missiles, and 29 cruise missiles were intercepted. However, some managed to break through, causing destruction in multiple cities.

In Dnipro, a missile carrying cluster munitions slammed into a residential high-rise, injuring at least 30 people, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. Several other apartment blocks and houses were also damaged.

In Chernihiv, one person was killed and eight others wounded after a drone strike hit a vehicle. Emergency workers responding to the scene were also injured when a second attack followed minutes later.

Attacks were also reported in Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv, with authorities warning that casualty figures could rise as rescue operations continued.

Meanwhile, Ukraine struck back, hitting two Russian oil refineries in Saratov and Samara. Kyiv’s General Staff said the Saratovsky refinery alone processes over 7 million tons of oil annually, accounting for about 2.5% of Russia’s refining capacity. The Samara strike damaged a major transport facility used in supplying fuel to Russian forces.

“All affected facilities are involved in supplying the Russian Armed Forces,” the Ukrainian military said.

The strikes are part of Kyiv’s broader campaign to weaken Russia’s oil and gas industry, which President Zelenskyy has described as a vital source of funding for Moscow’s war.

The escalation came just a day after the European Commission proposed a new package of sanctions targeting Russia’s liquefied natural gas sector, financial institutions, cryptocurrency platforms, and shipping networks linked to its so-called “shadow fleet.”

Zelenskyy welcomed the EU’s move, saying it would “intensify pressure on Russia’s war machine” by hitting “the key engines of the war economy: energy revenues, finance, high-tech inputs, and the military-industrial base.”

Saturday’s events underline the deepening tit-for-tat between Moscow and Kyiv, with Russia intensifying its aerial bombardment while Ukraine ramps up strikes on energy infrastructure across the border. As winter approaches, both sides appear to be testing each other’s resilience — with civilians continuing to bear the brunt of the escalating hostilities.