Moscow: At least three people have been reported dead and over 30 others injured as Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes overnight, as confirmed by local authorities on Friday.
According to Anadolu Agency, Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev announced on Telegram that 67 drones were shot down over his region during Ukraine's overnight drone assault. He reported that one person was killed, and ten others were injured when debris struck an inter-municipal bus. A further 17 individuals sustained injuries of varying severity. The governor noted that drone debris impacted industrial infrastructure, residential areas, and retail facilities, leading to fires that were quickly extinguished.
In the Moscow region, Governor Andrey Vorobyov stated that a morning strike hit a Magnit food store in Pavlovsky Posad, also causing damage to a nearby clinic. Separately, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea, reported that four people were injured following a drone strike on a five-story apartment building.
Ukraine's General Staff claimed responsibility for striking the Yaroslavl refinery operated by the Russian oil company Slavneft, resulting in a fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also alleged on the social media platform X that a Tu-95MS aircraft in Engels, Russia's Saratov region, was targeted by Ukraine's Security Service. Moscow has not responded to this claim.
The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that its air defenses successfully downed 512 Ukrainian drones across 18 regions, including over the Black Sea and Crimea.
In Ukraine, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, reported one fatality and two injuries as Russian strikes targeted areas surrounding the capital. Civilian structures, including private and apartment buildings, warehouses, and vehicles, were damaged in the attacks. Additionally, Ukraine's Nova Poshta courier service announced that its sorting centers in the Kyiv and Sumy regions were attacked overnight.
Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported one death and seven injuries following a strike with guided aerial bombs on the region's administrative center. In Zaporizhzhia, Governor Ivan Fedorov mentioned that four people were injured when a Russian drone hit an Epicentr hypermarket.
Ukraine's Air Force claimed the successful downing of 137 out of 164 drones launched by Russia overnight. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that it targeted a warehouse complex in the Kyiv region and multiple storage facilities in the port of Odesa, claiming they contained military equipment intended for Ukrainian forces.
Independent verification of the claims from either side remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict.