According to local authorities, a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian territory of Tatarstan has killed at least 13 people.
They revealed that drones struck Nizhnekamsk, more than 1,100 kilometers (680 meters) from the Ukrainian border, killing one kid and injuring another 75. The Tanevo oil refinery in the city was struck, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale conflict in Ukraine in 2022, it is among the bloodiest single strikes on Russia.
Kyiv has increased its long-range attacks against establishments that it claims provide funding and supplies for Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Local sources claim that the strike on Nizhnekamsk continued for many hours into the morning.
Large plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky during the day are seen in verified photos on social media, with air raid sirens roaring in the background.
What Happened in Nizhnekamsk?
Seven of the dead were Uzbek nationals, according to the Uzbek embassy in Tatarstan.
The majority of the casualties had been residing at a hostel at the time of the strike. Russia’s Investigative Committee stated that “civilian individuals who were not involved in any military operations were present” where the drones struck.
This information has not been independently confirmed by the press. “All those involved in the attacks” will “face inevitable and severe punishment,” according to Moscow.
Nizhnekamsk’s oil refineries had already been struck once, on June 12.
According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, “the facilities Ukraine targets are used to carry out attacks against Ukraine, manufacture weapons, and support Russia’s war effort.”
Why Did Ukraine Target Nizhnekamsk?
Radmir Belayev, the mayor of Nizhnekamsk, stated that the fatalities had been “a tremendous pain for all of us.
” Rustam Minnikhanov, the president of Tatarstan, acknowledged the strike and offered his sympathies to the families of the victims.
Ukraine’s Kovalenko claimed “every civilian fatality in Russia is on [President Vladimir] Putin” and that “Russians should direct their frustrations at Putin and at the decisions taken within their own country”.
“Aggression would not have occurred in the absence of Putin. These folks would still be alive if there had been no assault,” he said.
Moscow said that around 450 Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russian air defenses throughout Russia throughout the course of the nite.
What Ukraine and Russia Said
In other parts of Russia, local officials said that multiple falling drones struck an industrial site in the Tyumen area of Siberia, causing fires.
The number of civilian fatalities from Kyiv’s long-range attacks on Russia, which frequently target warehouses or energy infrastructure, has increased.
Wider Context of the War
Meanwhile, Moscow keeps launching frequent, massive airstrikes against Ukrainian towns and civilian areas. Twenty-one persons were murdered in a drone and missile attack on Kyiv last week.
