Ukrainian drones ignite fires in multiple Russian regions
Ukrainian drones struck multiple targets in Russia, including the Volgograd, Rostov, and Belgorod regions. According to reports, one person lost their life, and two were injured as a result of Ukrainian drone attacks on energy facilities.
10:27 AM EDT, July 9, 2024
The attacks occurred at night and were carried out using dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles. Two power substations and an oil storage facility were set ablaze.
In the Belgorod region, a man lost his life in the attack. Two people were injured, and several residential houses were damaged—this information was relayed on Telegram by the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. He also added that within the past 24 hours, four people had died, and 20 were injured due to various Ukrainian attacks.
In the Rostov region, which also borders Ukraine, a fire broke out at a power substation following a Ukrainian drone attack. The region's governor, Vasily Golubev, reported on Telegram that the fire had been extinguished.
Actions of Russian air defense
According to information provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense, air defense systems they destroyed 38 Ukrainian drones, which attacked several Russian regions.
A series of explosions was recorded in the city of Kalach-on-Don in the Volgograd region in southern Russia. The Baza channel on Telegram, which has sources in the Russian security forces, reported this information.
The governor of the Volgograd region, Andrey Bocharov, stated on Telegram that a power substation and an oil storage facility caught fire from falling debris of drones that were shot down by Russian air defense systems. The fire at the substation was quickly extinguished, but firefighters are still battling the blaze at the oil storage facility. Bocharov emphasized that "there is no threat to residential buildings."
A massive Ukrainian drone attack was also reportedly thwarted in the Astrakhan region. According to authorities, no one was injured there. Several Ukrainian drones were also destroyed over the Voronezh and Kursk regions.
Response to russian attack
Experts highlight that Russian officials often do not disclose the full extent of damage caused by Ukrainian attacks. Ukrainian authorities have yet to report on the night attacks on Russia.
The Ukrainian drone attacks followed Monday's missile strikes carried out by Russian forces, which targeted, among other places, Kyiv. At least 27 people were killed in the Ukrainian capital, and the largest children's hospital in Ukraine, the Ohmatdyt, was severely damaged. A total of about 40 people were killed across the country.
