Ukrainian attack cuts power and water in occupied Crimea

A Ukrainian drone attack on local power grids in the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula led to restrictions on electricity and water supply on Saturday. Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea, confirmed the measures on Telegram but did not say how many households were affected. More than 2.5 million people live in Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and which is a regular target of Ukrainian attacks.

Strikes inside Russia and Ukraine

Russia's defence ministry said 616 drones were shot down overnight over more than 20 regions of the country. During the day, drones hit the Bryansk border region in south-western Russia, killing at least three people, according to acting governor Yegor Kovalchuc. A separate Ukrainian strike in the Russian-held part of the north-eastern Kharkiv region killed at least three people and gravely wounded one, according to the Moscow-backed authorities.

In eastern Ukraine, at least five people were killed in Russian drone and missile strikes. Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha said a drone hit the town of Synelnykove, setting the fourth floor of a high-rise building on fire; three people died and at least 12 were wounded. In the Sumy region, a drone struck a farm, killing a 31-year-old woman and injuring four others.

UK–France exercise

The UK government said on Sunday that thousands of British and French troops took part in a military exercise that included one of Britain's largest airborne operations in two decades. The seven-week exercise, called Rhino Titan, is held at the Sennelager training centre in Germany and involves about 2,500 troops. Some 600 British and French paratroopers jumped from four RAF A400M Atlas aircraft. The drill shows how Nato countries could be defended against a modern attack and tests British forces against an enemy using drones and electronic warfare. British defence minister Wes Streeting said modern threats require an updated approach to warfare.

Starlink and Bulgarian election

The Ukrainian government said its military has a stable Starlink connection, 10 days after access to the satellite system was suddenly restricted. Hours later, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk accused the Ukrainian military of violating the company's terms. Neither Musk nor the US government took responsibility for the curbs.

Bulgarians vote in presidential elections on Sunday as the war spreads to Black Sea waters off Bulgaria. Polls put acting president Iliana Iotova and former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov in front in a field of 27 candidates. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the vote carries added weight after drone attacks on merchant ships that likely killed about two dozen seafarers.