Ukrainian Drones Target Russian Warehouses, Resulting in Casualties
Drone Strikes Cause Casualties in Russia
Moscow: Ukrainian drone attacks targeted two large warehouses, including one located just east of Moscow, resulting in the deaths of nine individuals and injuries to over 80, according to Russian authorities.
The Ukrainian military has intensified its aerial operations against Russian energy and military installations, aiming to disrupt Moscow's war efforts and make the Russian populace feel the repercussions of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has now entered its fifth year.
The strikes hit warehouses belonging to Wildberries, a prominent online retailer in Russia. One warehouse was in Kotovsk, Tambov region, approximately 360 kilometers (220 miles) from the Ukrainian border, while the other was in Elektrostal, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Moscow.
Additionally, a drone attack targeted an oil depot in Noginsk, north of Elektrostal, igniting a fire that led to the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital and residential buildings, as reported by Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region. Debris from the drone also struck a kindergarten, causing a fire that has since been extinguished.
In Kotovsk, seven night shift workers lost their lives, and 25 others sustained injuries, according to Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov.
In the Moscow region, a total of 61 individuals were reported injured, with 20 receiving outpatient treatment and 40 hospitalized. One person succumbed to their injuries.
In a separate incident in the Belgorod region, local authorities reported one fatality and another injury due to a Ukrainian drone strike on Saturday afternoon.
Both warehouses experienced fires, as confirmed by Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim, with the fire in Kotovsk being extinguished. Russian media outlets released images showing significant smoke rising from the Elektrostal facility.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced via Telegram that long-range strikes had targeted two critical logistical sites in the Moscow and Tambov regions.
He stated, "These facilities were utilized by the aggressor to supply banned components for drone and navigation equipment production," also mentioning an oil facility that was struck.
In Vladimir, located about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Moscow, a drone hit a residential building, causing a minor fire but no casualties, according to Governor Alexander Avdeyev.
Ukrainian special operations also targeted locations in the Sea of Azov and occupied territories, as noted by Zelenskyy.
The General Staff of Ukraine reported that the Noginsk fuel depot targeted in the overnight strikes supplied the Russian military. They also claimed to have hit two tankers, two floating cranes, and a tugboat in the Black and Azov seas, which were involved in transporting oil, fuel, and military supplies.
Furthermore, the military announced it had struck a Project 10410 Svetlyak-class patrol ship in Kerch, marking the second vessel of that class hit within two days, along with a railway bridge over the Bila River in the occupied Luhansk region, used for military logistics.
The Russian Defence Ministry stated that its air defenses intercepted 379 Ukrainian drones across 19 Russian regions, including the annexed Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea.