 (1).png){kind=spacer}
2 months ago
11
Ukraine said on Sunday it had targeted a crucial Russian explosives factory, located about 750 kilometers (470 miles) from the border, in an overnight drone attack.
Kyiv has repeatedly launched drone attacks deep into Russian territory, seeking to hit energy and military sites that it says are key to supplying Moscow's invading army.
A source in the SBU security services told AFP its drones had struck the Sverdlov explosives factory in Dzerzhinsk, just outside the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.
Russian officials confirmed drones had targeted the area but said the attack had been foiled.
"Air defenses and electronic warfare means repelled a drone attack on the territory of the Dzerzhinsk industrial zone," Nizhny Novgorod regional Governor Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram.
"Four employees of the fire station, located on the territory of the industrial enterprise, received light shrapnel wounds," he added.
The United States and European Union have sanctioned the Sverdlov plant, one of Russia's largest manufacturers of military explosives.
Footage posted on Russian social media showed a large explosion in the area and small drones being downed by air defense systems.
AFP could not immediately verify the footage.
Kyiv did not say what damage, if any, the attack inflicted on the plant's production capabilities.
Moscow's Defense Ministry said earlier it had downed 110 Ukrainian drones that had been fired at its territory overnight, the largest attempted aerial barrage by Ukraine in two weeks.
Drone attacks
Russia also launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine.
Kyiv said they targeted residential areas.
At least 17 people were wounded in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, including a first responder, the state emergency services said.
Russia also attacked an energy facility in the northeastern Sumy region, the regional power operator Sumyoblenergo said on Telegram, knocking out electricity for more than 37,000 consumers.
Ukraine is bracing for its toughest winter of the war yet.
Russia has destroyed swathes of its generating capacity and continues to strike energy sites, at a time when temperatures have dropped towards freezing across the country.
Separately, Russian aviation authorities temporarily closed Kazan airport, around 1,000 kilometers from the Ukraine border, on Sunday morning, citing air safety concerns.
The Rosaviatsia agency did not provide a reason for the suspension of flights, although such restrictions are typically imposed when there are reports of Ukrainian drone attacks in the area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet the leaders of China, Brazil and Turkey in the city later this week for the BRICS summit, the biggest gathering of Moscow's allies and partners inside the country since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
