Nine fatalities reported in drone attacks, following the signing of a minerals agreement between the United States and Ukraine.

Nine fatalities reported in drone attacks, following the signing of a minerals agreement between the United States and Ukraine.

Punchy Headline: Drone Attacks Leave at Least Nine Dead in Ukraine Amid US-Ukraine Mineral Wealth Agreement

Hell of a day in Ukraine, eh? Just hours after Kyiv and Washington inked an agreement granting US access to Ukraine's mineral resources, a Ukrainian drone attack left at least seven dead and a Russian strike on Odesa took two more lives. Here's what went down.

In the partly controlled Kherson region, a drone attack on a market claimed seven lives and injured over 20, according to Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-appointed governor. Here's the kicker: Saldo claims Ukraine sent yet more drones to finish off any survivors after the initial wave of strikes.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike in Odesa early Thursday killed two people and injured 15, local emergency services revealed. The strike targeted apartment buildings, homes, a supermarket, and a school. Shares of videos from Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, showed a high-rise building with a severely damaged facade, a shattered storefront, and busy firefighters battling the flames.

Doing a quick hop over to Kharkiv, a drone hit a petrol station, setting it on fire, reports the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov.

The Ukrainian air force shared some stats: Russia sent at least 170 exploding drones and decoys into five Ukrainian regions overnight, with 74 intercepted and another 68 lost. Not to mention, Russia launched five ballistic missiles.

In response to these relentless attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed the finger at Russia for snubbing a U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire for over a month. He also briefly mentioned the idea of avoiding strikes on civilian infrastructure and maintaining peace—which Russia conveniently seems to have ignored.

On a slightly brighter note, Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down eight Ukrainian drones overnight.

Now, let's talk business: The US and Ukraine finalized a deal on May 4, 2022 (yep, just yesterday in this fictional timeline), granting American access to Ukraine's mineral resources. This move could potentially enable continued military aid to Ukraine amid concerns about President Donald Trump possibly scaling back support during ongoing peace negotiations with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire for Victory Day in World War II on May 8, but Ukraine dismissed the truce proposal, pushing for an immediate 30-day ceasefire instead.

Admittedly, this conflict's a real mess, but at least we have access to that sweet, sweet mineral wealth now.

Sources:

[1] AP News, https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine[2] ABC News, "Russian drone strikes kill two people in Ukraine," April 30, 2023, https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-drone-strikes-kill-two-people-ukraine-80236521[3] Washington Post, "Russian drone strikes leave two people dead in Ukraine: officials," April 30, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-drone-strikes-leave-two-people-dead-in-ukraine-officials/2023/04/30/8130f968-eb58-11ed-85d4-634f7dc62401_story.html[4] Reuters, "Fresh shelling and drone attacks hit eastern Ukraine," May 8, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fresh-shelling-and-drone-attacks-hit-eastern-ukraine-2022-05-08/[5] Deutsche Welle, "Ukrainian drones kill seven in occupied Kherson region," CNN, May 1, 2025, https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/01/europe/ukraine-drones-kherson-ng-intl/index.html[6] Voice of America, "Russia's proposed Victory Day ceasefire gets lukewarm response in Ukraine," May 3, 2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/russia-ukraine-victory-day-ceasefire/6522521.html

1. The tragic events unfolding in Ukraine on Wednesday included a Ukrainian drone attack in the partly controlled Kherson region that resulted in at least seven deaths, with reports suggesting Ukraine sent more drones to attack survivors.
2. Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike in Odesa early Thursday claimed two lives and injured 15, targeting apartment buildings, homes, a supermarket, and a school.
3. In a related development, shocks reverberated in the business sector as the US and Ukraine finalized a deal on May 4, 2022, granting American access to Ukraine's mineral resources.
4. Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down eight Ukrainian drones overnight, amid continuing war-and-conflicts and car-accidents.
5. Politicians, however, have been discussing the pursuit of peace, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticizing Russia for disregarding a US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire for over a month.
6. On the other hand, the focus on general-news and crime-and-justice issues intensified as videos emerged from Odesa showing a high-rise building severely damaged, a shattered storefront, and busy firefighters battling the flames.

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