Russia says it destroyed 17 drones launched by Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares to fly a reconnaissance drone near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region. AFP
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday the country’s air defence systems destroyed 17 drones launched by Ukraine after a Russian drone attack heavily damaged a hotel in Ukraine’s southern city of Mykolaiv.
The ministry said three of the Ukraine-launched drones were downed over the Kaluga region, south of Moscow.
Vladislav Shapsha, regional governor of Kaluga, said the drones fell near an oil depot near the town of Lyudinovo. “There were no casualties or damage,” Mr Shapsha said.
The ministry also said nine of the Ukraine-launched drones were destroyed over the Bryansk region, three over the Kursk region and two over the Belgorod region.
Both sides have been increasingly attacking each other’s infrastructure, though Russia rarely discloses information about the full impact of Ukraine’s attacks on its territory.
Kyiv officials say attacking Russia’s military, energy and transport infrastructure undermines Moscow’s war effort.
In parallel, a Russian drone attack heavily damaged a hotel in Mykolaiv city, the governor of the broader Mykolaiv region said, with Russia’s RIA news agency reporting the hotel housed English-speaking mercenaries fighting in Ukraine.
“The enemy attacked the city with an unmanned aerial vehicle of the Shahed-131/136 type,” said Mykolaiv’s governor, Vitaly Kim.
“As a result, a hotel building was heavily damaged, a fire broke out, which was quickly extinguished … there are no casualties.”
Mr Kim and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the Russian attack also damaged windows in a nearby hotel and that heat-generating infrastructure was damaged.
RIA, citing underground fighters in the region, said Russian forces hit a shipbuilding plant and a hotel in Mykolaiv where English-speaking mercenaries fighting in Ukraine were staying.
Ukraine’s Air Force also said its forces destroyed a Russia-launched drone over Mykolaiv.
The air force said four other drones launched by Russia were destroyed over the region around the capital Kyiv, the central Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad regions, and over the western Khmelnytskyi region.