Russia says it has intercepted and downed 35 Ukrainian drones that targeted several regions across the country, including Moscow.
In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 17 drones were destroyed over Krasnodar, four over Moscow and the rest over six other regions of Kaluga, Oryol, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kursk and Belgorod.
One of the neutralized drones sparked a fire at the Slavyansk oil refinery in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.
However, the blaze was quickly contained and caused no casualties. Emergency services said one person died in a suspected heart attack during the incident.
“The drones were neutralized, but a fire broke out as a result of the fall of one of the devices,” Krasnodar’s operational headquarters said.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage reported from the drones shot down over Moscow.
“The Russian Defense Ministry’s air defenses in the Domodedovo district have repelled a drone attack on Moscow,” he added.
Similarly, Oryol Governor Andrey Klychkov confirmed the downing of a Ukrainian drone over the region and asked citizens to stay calm.
The attacks come at a time, when Russia is holding a presidential election. Moscow had earlier said Kiev is using “terrorist activities” in a bid to disrupt its vote.
Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 partly to counter NATO’s further eastward expansion and to stop Kiev’s persecution of the pro-Russian population in eastern Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin said the goals were “demilitarization and de-Nazification” of the East European country.
