Russia Downs 125 Ukrainian Drones; Residential Apartment Hit in Voronezh, Reports Reuters

On Sunday, the Russian defense ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted 125 Ukrainian drones overnight. In the western city of Voronezh, a residential building was struck, as confirmed by the local governor.

In a separate update, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, detailed incidents of drone and shelling attacks in the past 24 hours. He disclosed that one individual lost their life in the border town of Shebekino, while eight civilians sustained injuries in the surrounding area.

As Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has shifted the conflict to Russian territory. This includes a cross-border operation into Russia’s Kursk region that began on August 6, alongside increasingly significant drone strikes deep within Russia.

The defense ministry highlighted that the recent attacks predominantly targeted the southern Volgograd region, where 67 drones were reportedly intercepted. Additionally, 17 drones were taken down over both the Belgorod and Voronezh regions, and 18 were shot down over Rostov.

Alexander Gusev, the governor of Voronezh, communicated via the Telegram messaging platform that a falling drone had impacted a residential complex, resulting in a fire. Fortunately, the blaze was contained, and there were no reported injuries based on preliminary information.

Video footage allegedly showing a fire consuming the top floor of a high-rise building in Voronezh was shared on the Mash Telegram channel; however, Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the video at that time.