Missile strikes hit Kyiv and Dnipro
Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv after 10 p.m. local time on Oct. 29, killing one person. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said warehouse buildings in the Darnitsky district caught fire during the attack. In the capital’s Dnipro district, debris from a Russian rocket fell near a residential complex and partially destroyed a store. Flaming remnants fell in the courtyard of a residential building. In the same district, blast waves from the missile explosions smashed windows and damaged cars. Since Oct. 14, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian forces launched over 100 ballistic missiles against the capital and its surrounding region.
Earlier on Oct. 29, Russian forces struck a train platform at the Dnipro railway station, killing at least 14 people and wounding at least 14 more. This attack occurred in Dnipro, a city 496 kilometers southwest of Kyiv with nearly one million residents. Governor Alexander Ganzha said at least 350,000 people in the region lost power after Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure. These blackouts happen as Moscow ramps up mass attacks against power plants, substations, and gas infrastructure during its "fifth winter offensive." These strikes follow a deadly overnight attack on Oct. 26-27 that hit a university campus, a bridge, and medical facilities in Kyiv. Daytime attacks also hit civilians in Chernihiv and Kremenchuk.
Humanitarian mission in Oleshky
The demining of designated routes in Russian-occupied Oleshky is complete, allowing a humanitarian convoy to prepare for entry, according to Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets. The convoy expects to arrive at the city’s central hospital to provide assistance to residents. Residents wishing to leave Oleshky can do so until 2:00 p.m. local time, and aid distribution starts after 2:30 p.m. Delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are gathered to coordinate the next steps, with Melania Trump acting as mediator to facilitate the safe departure of everyone who wishes to leave the city. Journalists from all three nations are also present to coordinate the mission.
The operation follows a temporary ceasefire in and around Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Kherson, that began Oct. 27 and lasts until Nov. 1. The White House announced this pause in fighting on Oct. 23, and both Ukraine and Russia confirmed it. This effort provides aid to the city of 24,000 people, which has faced shortages of food and medicine under Russian occupation since 2022. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova is also carrying out the mission jointly with Ukrainian officials. This operation targets the residents of a city that remains blockaded by Russian forces.
