Ukrainian drone strike kills 1, damages apartments in Russia’s Saratov region

A Ukrainian drone strike on the southern Russian region of Saratov killed one person and destroyed several apartments and an industrial site, the governor announced on Sunday.

According to Roman Busargin on the Telegram messaging app, occupants were evacuated after debris from a wrecked drone damaged three flats during the overnight attack.

“Several residents required medical assistance,” Busargin stated. “Aid was offered on-site, and one person was hospitalised. Unfortunately, one person died.

Russian air defence units shot down 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including eight over the Saratov region, according to the Defence Ministry. It only discloses how many drones its defensive forces shot down, not how many Ukraine launched.

Busargin did not identify which type of industrial site was affected.

Social media footage showed thick black smoke rising over what looked like an industrial zone. Reuters verified the location seen in one of the videos as matching file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters could not verify when the video was filmed.

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Ukrainian media, including the RBK-Ukraine media outlet, reported that the oil refinery in the city of Saratov, the administrative centre of the region, was on fire after a drone attack.

Reuters could not verify those reports. There was no official comment from Russia.

The Rosneft-owned refinery in the Saratov city was forced to suspend operations earlier this year for safety reasons after Ukrainian drone attacks, industry sources told Reuters.

Russia’s SHOT Telegram channel, which often publishes information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported about eight explosions were heard over Saratov and Engels, cities separated by the Volga River.

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Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Telegram that flights in and out of Saratov had been halted for about two hours early on Sunday to ensure air safety.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes on each other’s territory in the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kyiv says its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure that is key to Moscow’s war efforts, including energy and military infrastructure, and are in response to Russia’s continued strikes.