Russian drones kill two at Ukraine-Moldova border crossing, one dead in Kyiv attacks

KYIV, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Russian drones hit ‌a border crossing between ​Ukraine and ​Moldova in the southern region of Odesa, killing two people, Ukrainian and Moldovan officials said on Wednesday, as Moscow targets trade and logistics routes to cause economic damage.

One person was ‌killed in new waves of Russian attacks on Kyiv, the city's military administration said. Fourteen ⁠people were wounded.

Russian forces targeted the capital overnight and into Wednesday with jet-powered drones, causing multiple fires and disrupting business operations and ‌schools, officials said.

Two civilians were killed ‌and three wounded in the attack on the Starokozache border crossing in southwest Ukraine, Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

The checkpoint, about 1 km (half a mile) from Moldovan territory, is used daily by thousands ​of people and hundreds of cars. Moldovan officials said passenger and vehicle traffic was halted by the attack.

"Most likely, Russia wants to disrupt logistics routes," Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian border guards, told ⁠national TV.

INCREASED ATTACKS ON BORDER CROSSINGS

Russia has struck five border crossings in recent weeks, the Ukrainian border guards said — four on the border with Moldova ​and one on its border with Romania, a NATO member.

It is a worrying development for Kyiv, which has become more reliant on land routes for its exports as ​Russian attacks on its Black Sea ports have disrupted maritime ‌exports. In turn, Ukraine has attacked Russian refineries, oil terminals and commercial warehouses with drones, often deep inside Russia.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu pledged measures to protect national airspace ⁠and accused the country's pro-Russian opposition of endangering national security by downplaying the threat from Moscow.

"Denying the danger when Russian drones and missiles are spreading death and putting Moldova at risk, as well as criticising your country's efforts to strengthen its defences, ⁠means choosing betrayal over the safety of your own people," she said in a statement.

Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said ​Russian drone incursions into his country's airspace had increased significantly.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had hit a naval base, an oil terminal, military port facilities and warships carrying missiles in Russia's Novorossiysk, and he reiterated his plea for more international pressure ‌on Moscow.

"A response is needed – Moscow must not go into the winter believing that it can get away with missile and drone terror without consequences," Zelenskiy said ‌on Telegram.

"The aggression must be stopped here and now, before it spreads any further."

Russia resumed its near-constant air attacks on Kyiv ⁠on Tuesday after a brief halt during ‌the visit to Moscow and Kyiv ​of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace negotiators.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv, Anna Pruchnicka in Gdansk, Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo, Alexander Tanas in Chisinau; Editing by Gareth Jones, Rod Nickel, ‌Ron Popeski)

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