Over 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia on Sunday, causing widespread damage and sparking a wildfire that engulfed a forest and set an apartment block ablaze in one of the most significant drone barrages seen in Russian airspace since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, 125 drones were intercepted and brought down overnight across seven regions, with Volgograd experiencing intense drone fire as 67 Ukrainian drones were downed by Russian air defenses. In Voronezh, 17 drones were sighted, leading to falling debris damaging an apartment block and a private residence. Images circulating on social media depicted flames emerging from the top floor of a high-rise building, though no casualties were reported.
In Rostov region, 18 drones were encountered, resulting in falling debris that ignited a wildfire covering 20 hectares of the forest. Governor Vasily Golubev reassured that the fire posed no immediate threat to inhabited areas, with emergency services actively working to contain the blaze.
Simultaneously, 13 civilians were wounded in an overnight attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, as military officials cautioned about a potential new offensive by Russian forces in the southern regions of the country. The city endured ten separate strikes with guided bombs, damaging multiple residential structures and a high-rise building. Regional governor Ivan Fedorov indicated that more individuals might still be trapped under the rubble.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the aftermath of the Zaporizhzhia assault, emphasizing the harm inflicted on the city’s transport infrastructure. He commended the swift response of emergency services in aiding those affected and ongoing efforts to clear the debris.
These assaults occurred following warnings from the Ukrainian military of potential offensive operations by Russian troops in the larger Zaporizhzhia region. Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, highlighted the gathering of Russian personnel in the area, while Ukraine’s air force reported 22 Russian drones launched overnight. Of these, 15 were downed in various Ukrainian regions, and five were neutralized using electronic countermeasures, leaving the fate of the two remaining drones unspecified.