Russian missile and drone strikes across several regions of Ukraine killed five people on Tuesday, September 22, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly and prepared to meet US President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian officials said they launched a major overnight barrage involving missiles and more than 200 drones. The attacks hit at least four Ukrainian regions, damaging homes, businesses and infrastructure. Officials said four people were killed in the central city of Dnipro, while another person was killed elsewhere in the country. Several others were also injured.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces targeted industrial and military facilities, including sites linked to Ukraine’s fuel and energy sector and port infrastructure. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, reported damage to industrial and critical infrastructure facilities.
Ukraine also carried out another long-range drone attack against Russia. The governor of Russia’s Samara region said a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and injured four others. The region contains important oil-refining facilities. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air-defence forces had destroyed 297 Ukrainian drones overnight across several Russian regions.
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The latest attacks came as Zelenskyy arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly, where he is due to meet Trump. The Ukrainian president is seeking international support for efforts to reduce attacks on energy infrastructure and other critical facilities.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to take reciprocal steps if Russia stopped targeting key Ukrainian infrastructure.
“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part. Solutions are possible,” Zelenskyy said in a statement posted on X.
Trump has also commented on the effects of Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s energy industry. In a post on Truth Social, he said, “they has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil industry due to its War with Ukraine,” adding that “the whole World suffers.”
The planned meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy comes amid efforts to establish an agreement limiting attacks on energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy has also been seeking additional air-defence support for Ukraine as their missile and drone attacks continue.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had discussed Ukraine’s air-defence needs and the possibility of an energy truce with Trump. Macron said the discussions included efforts to help Ukraine strengthen its defensive capabilities.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, the country and Ukraine continue to exchange attacks. Tuesday’s strikes underline the challenges facing attempts to reduce the fighting, as both sides continue to target infrastructure while diplomatic discussions take place at the United Nations.
