Moscow: Attacks involving hundreds of drones between Russia and Ukraine have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 230 Ukrainian drones over several regions of Russia overnight. Kyiv, however, claimed that Russia targeted it with more than 100 drones.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted authorities in Belgorod, in the southwest of the country, stating that an attack by Ukrainian forces resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to 14 others, including four children. The Russian news agency Interfax also reported that industrial facilities in the Samara region, located on the banks of the Volga River, were attacked by Ukrainian drones.
For its part, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it shot down eight missiles and 102 drones launched by Russia against several areas of the country last night. The governor of Zaporizhzhia stated that two people were killed and 12 others were injured in attacks by Russian forces on several areas of the region. The governor of Dnipropetrovsk also confirmed that one person was killed and three others were injured in Russian shelling of several areas in the region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces launched a large-scale strike, using high-precision weapons and attack drones, targeting Ukrainian industrial facilities. The ministry stated that the strike targeted mining and metallurgical plants in the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kryvyi Rih, which contribute to the production of goods for military purposes. It also reported that the attack targeted port infrastructure and strategically important transport facilities in the Odessa region, which it claimed were used for unloading and storing shipments with military applications.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has witnessed a significant escalation in long-range strikes over the past few months, with an increasing frequency targeting civilian infrastructure, including factories, refineries, warehouses, port infrastructure, and ships.