Russian strikes kill three in Ukraine as Putin warns Europe on troops

Russian strikes killed three civilians and wounded dozens across several Ukrainian cities on Saturday. The attacks coincided with Vladimir Putin's warning that any European troop deployment would mean direct conflict with Russia.Stock photo used for illustrationRussian strikes killed three civilians and wounded dozens in Ukraine on Saturday, local officials said, as the war was further overshadowed by President Vladimir Putin's warning that any move by European governments to send troops into Ukraine would amount to direct conflict with Russia.Ukraine is facing growing pressure from Russia's intensified air campaign, which uses ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to break through defences. Officials say Moscow has also targeted Ukraine's power grid ahead of winter in an attempt to demoralise civilians.In Zaporizhzhia, two people were killed and one person was wounded when Russian drones hit a residential area overnight, regional head Ivan Fedorov said. In Kryvyi Rih, one person was killed and three others were wounded, according to local officials.In the Black Sea port of Odesa and nearby areas, 28 people were wounded 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. Speaking to reporters at the BRICS summit in India on Friday, Putin said that if European governments send troops into Ukraine, it will mean "a war with Russia". "Now they're talking about how they're considering sending troops into Ukraine. That means a war with Russia," he said. Some European leaders have pledged support for a possible peacekeeping force, a prospect Moscow has repeatedly called unacceptable. Putin also denied that Russia posed any threat to Europe, saying "there is no such threat and never has been." "We do not threaten, nor do we intend to threaten, European countries," he said.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that two incidents along Ukraine's borders with Poland and Moldova this week showed the possibility of intensified Russian provocations at Ukraine's border crossing points with Europe. He said two people were killed when Russian drones struck the Starokozache crossing between Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday night, while a "direct threat" to a Polish-Ukrainian crossing point on Wednesday night was avoided because of cooperation between Warsaw and Kyiv. The latest strikes and exchanges underlined both the pressure on Ukraine from Russia's attacks and the rising tension over possible wider involvement by European countries. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 12, 2026 15:00 IST