Russian strikes hit Ukraine; NATO flank on alert

Russian air and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities dominated the morning. In Sloviansk, strikes on October 17 killed six people and wounded 15, and more bodies are believed to remain under collapsed homes. On Sunday a strike set the roof of a multi-story building in Odesa on fire and injured two people, including a 14-year-old girl. Further west, drones hit an energy facility near Staryi Vyshnivets in Ternopil region, leaving some consumers without power, and an industrial plant in Manevychi, Volyn region, where a huge fire broke out and residents were told to stay indoors. Rivne was attacked again, with fires at civilian sites that were contained. Meanwhile Ukraine's General Staff said it struck a drone storage and launch site near Donetsk and a vehicle repair base in Luhansk region, and Ozon reported that drones hit its logistics center in St. Petersburg, forcing an evacuation. The war also pressed on NATO's edge. Romania asked for a special North Atlantic Council meeting after its F-16s shot down two jet-powered drones over the Black Sea, Poland searched south of Lublin for an object that may have entered its airspace, and Lithuania's prime minister said an arson attempt on a firm storing Starlink equipment failed and called a security commission.