On the final day of Russia's presidential vote—a day that was poised to extend Vladimir Putin's tenure—the skies above several Russian regions bore witness to an unprecedented display of drone warfare initiated by Ukraine, Africa News reported.
This expansive Ukrainian drone attack left traces of destruction and casualties, creating ripples far beyond their common borders.
On this significant day, the Russian Defence Ministry disclosed their success in intercepting 35 Ukrainian drones through the night, including a quartet in the vicinity of Moscow.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed that a fifth drone attempt near Domodedovo airport was successfully thwarted on Sunday morning, thankfully resulting in neither casualties nor damage.
Stretching the boundaries of combat
The scope of these drone operations stretched to regions previously untouched by the direct conflict, with two additional drones being neutralized over the Kaluga and Yaroslavl regions.
The latter, lying approximately 800 kilometers from Ukraine, marked one of the farthest points reached by these aerial offensives. Drones also met their end elsewhere over the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov, and Krasnodar regions—areas lying adjacently to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in the Belgorod region, a shelling incident tragically snatched the life of a 16-year-old girl and injured her father. Over in the Krasnodar region, a drone strike-induced fire at a refinery led to a worker succumbing to a heart attack amidst the chaos.
Retaliation and repercussions
On the flip side, the Ukrainian military reported their defensive victories, shooting down 14 Russian drones aimed at the Odesa region. This came in the wake of a Russian missile barrage that claimed at least 21 lives on Friday.
Russian forces didn't hold back, launching missiles into Ukrainian territories, including the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, and continuing their assault into the Chernihiv region.
Adding to the weekend's turmoil, the city of Belgorod saw shelling that resulted in two fatalities and three injuries. The Russian military claimed to have derailed an attempt by Ukrainian "sabotage and reconnaissance groups" to breach the border. Amid these swirling reports, the Russian Volunteer Corps claimed custody over 25 Russian soldiers, a claim not yet verified independently.
Unresolved tensions and vows for justice
President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning in response to the conflict's escalation.
Those enemy strikes haven’t been and won’t be left unpunished. I’m sure that our people, the people of Russia, will respond to that with even greater cohesion.
This pledge by Putin vividly underscores the brewing storm of retaliation, potentially invigorating a national rally for retribution amongst Russian citizens.
As each side asserts its dominance and defense through drone strikes and military maneuvers, the echoing sentiment of unity against adversity becomes a more pronounced refrain in this ongoing conflict. The user-requested operation was not completed as the provided instructions were too complex and time-consuming to fulfill within a single response.
