Russia's defense ministry reported on 2/9 that its air defense units downed 13 Ukrainian long-range drones targeting Rostov province overnight. The total number of drones involved in the attack was not disclosed.
Acting Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar said two high-rise buildings in the Leventsovsky district of Rostov-on-Don, the provincial capital, caught fire due to the attack. Three people, including a child, sustained minor injuries.
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A Russian Tor-M1 air defense missile system on the front line on 30/5. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense |
A Russian Tor-M1 air defense missile system on the front line on 30/5. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
"We discovered an unexploded drone inside an apartment. As a precaution, we evacuated 320 residents from the building," Slyusar said. According to Rostov-on-Don Mayor Alexandr Skryabin, the residents were taken to a school while experts handled the drone.
Ukraine has not commented on the Russian officials' statements.
The same day, the Ukrainian Air Force Command stated that Russia launched 150 Geran drones and decoy aircraft towards Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or disabled 120 of them. The remaining 30 drones hit 9 locations, with debris falling in 5 areas.
Kyiv Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported damage in Bila Tserkva. Windows in several buildings were shattered, and fires broke out in multiple locations. Firefighters discovered the body of a man while extinguishing a blaze at a car repair shop in Bila Tserkva.
Russia has not released any information regarding the attack on Ukraine.
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Location of Bila Tserkva and Rostov-on-Don. Graphic: RYV |
Location of Bila Tserkva and Rostov-on-Don. Graphic: RYV
Russia and Ukraine frequently target each other's critical infrastructure, including energy facilities. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of attacking civilian infrastructure while claiming to only target military objectives.
These attacks occurred despite former US President Donald Trump's diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On 28/8, Trump expressed displeasure, but not surprise, at Russia's large-scale attack on Kyiv with over 600 missiles and drones.
Nguyen Tien (RIA Novosti, AFP, Reuters)
