Several injured in drone attack in Russia’s Tatarstan

Thirteen people have been injured in a drone strike on the city of Elabuga in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, local health officials have said.

The region is located some 650 km east of Moscow, and had not previously been directly impacted by the Ukraine conflict.

Tatarstan leader Rustam Mannikhanov said Elabuga and the nearby city of Nizhnekamsk came under drone attacks, adding that no serious damage was inflicted by the kamikaze aircraft.

The primary target appeared to be the industrial zone in Elabuga. Its chief manager Timur Shagivaleev said that two drones were involved, and implied that Ukraine was responsible.

”They attack shopping centers in Moscow, they attack residential areas in Belgorod, they attack workers’ accommodation in Elabuga. Those are the kind of people we are conducting the special military operation against,” he said.

The latest casualty update from the region’s health ministry said all of the injured are college students, including two minors. Eight were placed in a hospital, while five others were released after treatment. Their lives are not at risk.

The moment of the attack was apparently filmed by a bystander. The video, shared by media in Tatarstan, shows a relatively large plane crash into the roof of a building and cause a powerful explosion.

The industrial zone in Elabuga offers special conditions for businesses, such as tax breaks, and is one of the oldest of this kind in Russia. It is a major car manufacturing hub.

The attack in Nizhnekamsk, some 15 km southwest of Elabuga, reportedly involved a single drone and targeted an industrial facility. Mayor Ramil Mulin told the media that the aircraft was disabled by electronic jamming before it could hit an oil refinery.