KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – More than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia on Sunday, the largest barrage seen over Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A forest fire broke out and an apartment building was set on fire, officials said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 125 drones overnight in seven regions. Southwest Volgograd came under particularly heavy fire, with 67 Ukrainian drones reportedly shot down by Russian air defense forces.
Seventeen drones were also seen over Russia's Voronezh region, where falling debris damaged apartments and homes, local governor Alexander Gusev said. Images on social media showed flames coming from the windows of the top floor of the skyscraper. No casualties were reported.
Governor Vasily Golubev said 18 more drones were reported over Russia's Rostov region, where falling debris sparked wildfires.
He said the fire did not pose a threat to populated areas, but emergency services were struggling to extinguish the blaze, which has burned 20 hectares (49.4 acres) of forest.
Meanwhile, an overnight barrage of fire in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya killed civilians on Sunday, after Ukrainian military leaders warned that Russia may be preparing a new military offensive in the country's south. 13 people were injured.
The city was targeted by Russian guided bombs in 10 separate attacks, damaging high-rise buildings and several residential buildings, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on the official Telegram channel. More people could be trapped under the rubble, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also said the Zaporizhzhia attack had damaged the city's transportation system. “Today, Russia bombed Zaporizhia. Residential buildings were damaged and one entrance was destroyed. The city's infrastructure and railways were also damaged,” Zelenskiy wrote on X (formerly Twitter). I mentioned it in the post.
“A total of 13 people were injured and two were rescued from beneath the rubble. We would like to thank the emergency services for their quick response and providing the necessary support. Work to clear the rubble continues. There is.”
The attack came after the Ukrainian military warned on Saturday that Russian forces may be preparing offensive operations across the Zaporizhzhya region. Vladislav Voloshin, spokesman for the Southern Command of Ukraine, said that Russia is increasing its personnel in this direction.
Ukraine's air force also reported that 22 Russian-made drones were launched over the country overnight. The report said 15 aircraft were shot down in the Sumy, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv and Odessa regions of Ukraine, and another five were destroyed using electronic defenses. The fate of the remaining two drones has not been disclosed.
