Tragic Drone Strikes in Southern Ukraine
In a devastating series of events, five individuals have lost their lives and one person has been injured due to a Russian drone strike targeted at the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. Local authorities reported that the attack occurred overnight and involved the use of kamikaze drones. The city’s mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, indicated that the assault resulted in the destruction of a residential house and significant damage to a nearby apartment building, which subsequently caught fire.
In a related incident in Zaporizhzhia, one person has been confirmed dead and at least 21 others, including children, have sustained injuries following three separate Russian strikes. According to Ukraine’s National Police, these attacks were executed using FAB-500 bombs, which resulted in the partial destruction of a residential building and also inflicted damage on a car dealership and a dormitory complex. Evacuations are currently underway as rescue operations continue to unfold.
These assaults come on the heels of Russia’s most extensive overnight drone strike against Ukraine since the onset of the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian air defense systems detected a staggering 145 incoming drones on Saturday night, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
In Zaporizhzhia, rescue workers are tirelessly clearing debris from a residential building that was obliterated by the Russian airstrike. The intensity of these attacks has increased as Russia has made incremental gains in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, while Ukrainian forces find themselves increasingly stretched along the front lines. Nonetheless, Ukraine continues to retaliate, launching a substantial drone strike against Moscow and its surrounding suburbs in the early hours of Sunday.
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that a total of 84 Ukrainian drones were intercepted within Russian territory, which they described as a “mass strike on civilian infrastructure.” Tragically, a man lost his life beneath the rubble of his apartment block in Russia’s Belgorod region, situated just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Additionally, five other individuals were reported injured in the Moscow suburb of Ramenskoe and a nearby village, as per local officials.
Eyewitness accounts shared on Russian channels via the messaging app Telegram revealed that debris from the drones sparked fires in several suburban homes. In response to the escalating situation, Russia’s aviation authority temporarily grounded flights at major international airports, including Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. Reports indicate that at least 14 flights bound for Moscow were redirected to Nizhnyi Novgorod, a city located over 490 kilometers to the east.
Furthermore, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces announced on Sunday that Ukrainian drones successfully ignited a fire at an arms depot in Russia’s southern Bryansk region, which lies near the borders with both Ukraine and Belarus.
