Moscow claims downing Ukrainian drones in south of Russia
- 7 September, 05:55
Russia on Thursday claimed downing Ukrainian drones in several regions, following the deadly missile strike in eastern Ukraine the day before.
Ukrainian drones were downed in the capital Moscow, southwest Bryansk and southern Rostov regions, Russian authorities said. According to residents of Ramenskoye, the attacks were aimed at Zhukovsky airport, around two kilometers from the scene. Rostov region’s governor Vasiliy Golubev revealed that two drones were downed by Russian air defense system during the attack. Enerhodar, a city in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region also came under drone attack. According to regional governor Yevgeny Balitsky, one person was injured during the attack. Zaporizhzhia region is home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The drone attacks across Russia come a day after a missile strike on a market killed at least 17 people and wounded 32 others in the attack on Kostiantynivka city in eastern Donetsk region. Zelensky branded the attack as “utter inhumanity.”
The strikes came amid US State Secretary Anthony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv where he noted duing his meeting with Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba that Ukraine’s counteroffensive that enters its fourth month, had made “good progress”. The strike also came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed Rustem Umerov as the country’s new defence minister in the biggest reshuffle within army since the war last year. In his first remarks since his appointment, Umerov pledged to take back “every centimeter” of Ukraine’s captured lands.
