Ukrainian Drone Strikes Cause Casualties and Damage Across Russia
Significant Drone Attacks Reported in Russia
Moscow: According to Russian authorities, overnight drone strikes from Ukraine resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and left over 60 injured.
The Ukrainian military continues its aggressive aerial operations targeting energy and military installations within Russia, aiming to disrupt Moscow's military efforts and make the Russian populace feel the repercussions of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has now entered its fifth year.
Reports indicate that two large warehouses belonging to Wildberries, a prominent online retailer in Russia, were struck by Ukrainian drones. One warehouse was located in Kotovsk, Tambov region, approximately 360 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, while the other was situated in Elektrostal, about 50 kilometers east of Moscow.
Both facilities caught fire, although Tatyana Kim, the founder of Wildberries, announced that the fire in Kotovsk had been extinguished by Saturday morning. Visuals shared by Russian media depicted a significant blaze at the Elektrostal site, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Additionally, a drone attack targeted an oil depot in Noginsk, just north of Elektrostal, igniting a fire and necessitating the evacuation of a nearby maternity hospital and residential building, as reported by Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed via Telegram that long-range strikes had successfully targeted two crucial logistical sites in the Moscow and Tambov areas.
He stated, "These facilities were utilized by the aggressor to supply banned components for drone and navigation equipment production," also mentioning that an oil facility was among the targets.
The governor of Tambov, Yevgeny Pervyshov, reported that seven night shift workers lost their lives at the Kotovsk warehouse, with 25 others injured. In the Moscow region, a total of 37 individuals were reported injured, with one later succumbing to injuries in the hospital.
In Elektrostal, debris from the drone struck a kindergarten, causing a fire that has since been controlled.
In Vladimir, located about 180 kilometers east of Moscow, a drone hit a residential building, leading to a brief fire, although no casualties were reported, according to governor Alexander Avdeyev.
Zelenskyy also noted that Ukrainian special operations targeted locations in the Sea of Azov and occupied territories.
The Russian Defence Ministry stated that its air defenses intercepted 379 Ukrainian drones across 19 regions in Russia, including the annexed Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea.