Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks targeting infrastructure across six Russian regions, just hours after a Russian missile struck Kyiv’s main children’s hospital, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. The Ukrainian drone strikes aimed at oil refineries and power grid facilities, causing significant fires and damage in several areas.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed multiple drones: three over Belgorod, seven over Kursk, two over Voronezh, 21 over Rostov, and five over Astrakhan. The most severe damage occurred in the Volgograd region, over 500 kilometers from Ukraine-controlled territory. Here, Ukrainian drones hit a fuel processing and storage plant near Kalach-na-Donu, igniting massive fires. Governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed that debris from the drones caused additional fires in Frolovo and an oil depot in Kalach-na-Donu.
Video footage, reportedly taken by a plant worker, showed drones flying towards the plant at low altitude and exploding upon impact. The footage, which lacked visible anti-aircraft fire, suggested that at least seven drones successfully struck their targets.
🔥🔥🔥 Ukrainian drones destroyed Russian oil refineries in Rostov & other regions of Russia today.
👉 Pray that they do not stop melting Russia’s oil industry until the Kremlin is bankrupted. pic.twitter.com/piRiWCFkmD
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) July 9, 2024
These drone attacks followed Russia’s deadliest assault on Ukraine this year, which saw a barrage of missiles hitting various targets, including the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. The missile strikes on Monday resulted in at least 38 deaths and 190 injuries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a day of mourning and condemned the attack on the hospital as “brutal.”
Zelensky stated that nearly 100 facilities were damaged nationwide, including civilian houses, kindergartens, a maternity hospital, a college, and a business center. He described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “bloody criminal” and called for stronger international actions against Russia. “Russian terrorists must be held accountable for this. Mere concern does not stop terror,” Zelensky said, urging for more robust defense measures against Russian missiles and combat aircraft.
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