Russian forces launched a large-scale drone assault on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia towards the end of Tuesday, resulting in fires, injuries to 12 individuals, and significant destruction to structures and vehicles, as stated by the regional governor.
Ivan Fedorov, communicating via the Telegram messaging app, described the attack as causing severe damage to cars, shops, and seven residential buildings. He mentioned that 12 individuals were receiving medical treatment in hospitals.
“A coordinated rescue operation is currently in progress at 12 different locations,” Fedorov stated in a video shared online. He added that a substantial number of units from the State Emergency Services, national police, and medical teams had been mobilized.
Visuals shared online depicted firefighters combatting fires at tall apartment buildings and charred vehicles along city streets.
According to reports on Telegram by emergency services, the fires were being contained, and rescue efforts were ongoing.
A portion of the broader region is under Russian control, with Russian forces holding significant territory in the Zaporizhzhia region and achieving recent advances, while the city itself remains under Ukrainian authority.
Yevgeny Belitsky, the appointed leader of the Russian-held section of the Zaporizhzhia region, asserted that Ukrainian forces had targeted power infrastructure in areas under Russian control. Belitsky mentioned on Telegram that electricity supply had been disrupted for 40,000 consumers in Russian-administered towns within the region.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has plunged the neighboring countries into a prolonged state of intense conflict. The utilization of drones by both Ukraine and Russia has become widespread during the hostilities, necessitating adaptations to confront the changing battlefield dynamics and emerging threats from adversarial drone use.
