Russian defenses repel multiple Ukrainian drone attacks overnight – officials

Ukrainian drones have targeted several Russian regions overnight, officials have said. One attack resulted in a fire in Belgorod Region, local media have reported.

Four plane-type UAVs were intercepted on Tuesday morning by Russian air defenses, the Defense Ministry reported. Three were taken out over Belgorod Region, and one over Kursk Region.

An explosion caused a fire at an “infrastructure object” in Belgorod Region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced, though he did not directly link the incident with Ukrainian attacks. Rescue services cited by Gladkov stated that a fuel tank had been affected, but that the fire had been extinguished before it could spread.

The Mash Telegram channel has released footage of what it claimed to be the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone strike at an oil facility. The aircraft allegedly came from Ukraine’s Sumi Region, the outlet said.

Aleksandr Gusev, the governor of Voronezh Region, warned residents of an imminent air threat posed by drones. Air defenses were prepared to repel it, he said on social media. He withdrew the alert some 90 minutes later.

Ukrainian forces regularly launch kamikaze drones into Russia, with the regions closest to Kiev-controlled territories taking the heaviest toll. The Russian military describes the operations as attempted terrorist attacks.

A summary by Gladkov of Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod Region on Monday alone mentioned eight separate artillery shellings, three cases of drones dropping munitions, and a kamikaze UAV strike. Some caused damage on the ground, but luckily no one was hurt, he added.

A drone raid involving dozens of UAVs reportedly targeted Crimea at the weekend. The Russian military said Kiev had launched 38 robotic aircraft for the attack, which was ultimately thwarted, according to a statement.