Russia downs 125 Ukrainian drones, residential apartment hit in Voronezh

Governors report casualties and damage from Ukrainian drone attacks in Russian border regions, escalating conflict.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday (September 29, 2024) its air defence downed 125 Ukrainian drones overnight, while a residential apartment was hit in the western city of Voronezh according to the local governor.

Separately, the governor of the western region of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, in an account of the drone and shelling attacks over the past 24 hours, said one man died in the border town of Shebekino, while eight civilians were injured in the wider region.

As Russia advances in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has taken the conflict to Russia, with a cross-border attack into Russia's western Kursk region that began on Aug. 6 and by carrying out increasingly large drone attacks deep into Russian territory.

The Defence Ministry said the focus of the recent attacks was on the southern Volgograd region, over which 67 drones were shot down. It also said 17 drones were intercepted over each of the Belgorod and Voronezh regions, and 18 downed over the Rostov region.

Alexander Gusev, the Governor of the Voronezh region, said on the Telegram messaging app that a falling drone hit a residential complex, causing a fire.

The blaze had been contained and no one was injured, according to preliminary information, he said.

The Mash Telegram channel posted a video purporting to show a blaze engulfing the top floor of a high-rise house in Voronezh. Reuters was not able to immediately corroborate the footage.