Russian strikes killed at least five civilians and injured dozens across Ukraine on Saturday as Moscow intensified its air campaign, while President Vladimir Putin warned that any deployment of European troops to Ukraine would amount to direct conflict with Russia.

The latest attacks came amid heightened diplomatic tensions over a possible European peacekeeping force and the prospect of future talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kyiv also said its forces had carried out strikes on chemical industry facilities inside Russia.

Russian Strikes Hit Multiple Ukrainian Regions

Ukrainian officials said Moscow had stepped up its use of ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones in an effort to penetrate the country’s air defences.

Russia has also intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure ahead of winter, according to Ukrainian officials, who said the campaign appeared aimed at weakening civilian morale.

In Zaporizhzhia, Russian drones struck a residential area overnight, killing two people and injuring another, regional head Ivan Fedorov said.

One person was killed and three others were wounded in Kryvyi Rih, according to local officials.

In Odesa and the surrounding region, 35 people were injured in what regional head Oleh Kiper described as a “massive attack”. A residential high-rise was among the buildings hit, with its upper floors completely destroyed.

Later on Saturday, two people were killed in a Russian attack on a grocery store in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, local officials said.

Kyiv Claims Strikes On Chemical Facilities In Russia

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had also carried out attacks on two chemical industry facilities inside Russia, one in the Samara region and another in Perm.

The governors of the two Russian regions did not immediately comment on the claims.

However, Russian independent online news outlet Astra reported drone attacks on chemical plants in both Samara and Perm.

The reported Ukrainian strikes came as Kyiv sought to demonstrate its ability to target infrastructure inside Russia while facing a renewed wave of attacks on its own territory.

Putin Warns Against European Troop Deployment

Speaking to reporters at the BRICS Summit in India on Friday, Putin warned European governments against sending troops to Ukraine.

“Now they’re talking about how they’re considering sending troops into Ukraine. That means a war with Russia,” Putin said.

Some European leaders have expressed support for the possibility of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, an idea that Moscow has repeatedly rejected.

Putin also dismissed suggestions that Russia posed a threat to European countries.

“There is no such threat and never has been,” he said. “We do not threaten, nor do we intend to threaten, European countries.”

Poland Warns Of Possible Russian Provocations

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that two recent incidents along Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Moldova could signal an increase in Russian provocations near crossing points connecting Ukraine with Europe.

He said two people were killed when Russian drones struck the Starokozache crossing between Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday night.

A “direct threat” to a crossing point on the Polish-Ukrainian border was avoided the following night through cooperation between Warsaw and Kyiv, Tusk said.

His comments added to concerns in Europe over the potential spillover of the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Zelenskyy Says He Could Meet Putin At G20

In an interview with Deutsche Welle published on Saturday, Zelenskyy said he would be prepared to meet Putin if both leaders were invited to the G20 summit scheduled to be held in Miami in December.

Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Saturday that the possibility of the Russian President attending the summit had not yet been discussed.

The Kremlin has previously said Zelenskyy could travel to Moscow if he wanted to meet Putin, an offer that Kyiv has rejected.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated the position on Saturday, saying: “If he really wants to meet with Putin, Putin has already said that he could fly to Moscow.”

Russia Says Military Operation Will Continue During Talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow remained “ready for negotiations” but indicated that military operations would not be suspended during any talks.

The so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine “will not be suspended during this period of negotiations”, Lavrov said.

Saturday’s developments brought another day of intense military activity and diplomatic exchanges, with Russian strikes causing fresh casualties in Ukraine, Kyiv claiming attacks on targets inside Russia and Moscow issuing renewed warnings over the possibility of European troop deployment.

The dispute over possible negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy also remains unresolved, with both sides continuing to set sharply different conditions for any face-to-face meeting.

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