More than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory on Sunday, according to Russian officials, marking one of the largest drone attacks on Russian soil since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The barrage sparked wildfires and caused damage to residential buildings across several regions.
Russia’s ministry of defence reported that 125 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight in seven regions, with the southwestern Volgograd region facing the heaviest assault.Russian air defenses claimed to have downed 67 drones in Volgograd alone.
In Voronezh, falling debris from 17 intercepted drones caused significant damage to an apartment block and a private home. Local governor Aleksandr Gusev confirmed the damage, sharing images on social media that showed flames engulfing the top floor of a high-rise building. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
In the Rostov region, 18 drones were reportedly shot down, sparking a wildfire in the aftermath. Governor Vasily Golubev said the fire spread across 20 hectares (49.4 acres) of forest but posed no immediate threat to nearby populated areas. Emergency services were actively working to contain the blaze.
Meanwhile, across the border in Ukraine, 13 civilians were injured in a series of overnight Russian airstrikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian authorities said the city was hit by Russian guided bombs in 10 separate attacks, damaging a high-rise building and several residential homes.
“Today, Russia struck Zaporizhzhia with aerial bombs. Ordinary residential buildings were damaged, and the entrance of one building was destroyed. The city’s infrastructure and railway were also damaged,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X. He added that two people were rescued from the rubble, and emergency services were still working to clear the debris.
The strikes on Zaporizhzhia come amid warnings from Ukraine’s military that Russia could be preparing for a new offensive in the southern region. Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, said Russian forces were amassing personnel in the region, possibly signaling future operations.
Ukraine’s air force reported that 22 Russian drones were launched over Ukraine during the night, 15 of which were shot down in the regions of Sumy, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. Five more drones were neutralized using electronic defenses. The fate of the remaining two drones remains unclear.