WORONEZH/BELGOROD, Russia, June 9 (Portal) – A drone attacked an apartment building in the southern Russian city of Voronezh on Friday, in what investigators described as a “terrorist act” on behalf of Ukraine, prompting the regional governor to order a state emergency .
Drones also crashed on an office building in Belgorod and near an oil depot in Kursk, officials from those cities said. Although they did not cause serious damage, they highlighted the increasing frequency of such attacks in areas of Russia near the border with Ukraine.
Russia’s State Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case against “persons acting in the interest of Ukraine’s military-political leadership” in connection with the incident in Voronezh, 180 km (110 miles) from the border.
There has been no official reaction from Ukraine that does not comment on alleged military operations on Russian territory.
“There was a violent explosion. I shouted. And (the plumber) who fixed my drain saw it; he shouted it was a drone,” said a woman who witnessed the Voronezh incident.
According to the investigators, there was structural damage to the block of flats, the facade of which was partially smashed and scorched.
[1/4] A view shows a damaged multi-story apartment block after a reported drone strike in Voronezh, Russia June 9, 2023. Portal/Vladimir Lavrov
Three people were slightly injured by broken glass but did not require hospital treatment, regional governor Alexander Gusev said. The Kremlin said Russian intelligence was conducting an investigation.
In Belgorod, some 35 km (22 miles) from the Ukrainian border, the boom in anti-aircraft defenses shooting down incoming targets has become commonplace, and people interviewed by Portal on the street said they were used to it.
“Our boys are stars, the air defense works well. It’s very uncomfortable,” said Alexei Fedyunin, a 43-year-old driver.
Olga Maskayeva, 71, who lives with her 99-year-old father, said: “Where should we go? If it happens, it happens.”
Drone strikes — including in Moscow as of last month — have heightened the sense among ordinary Russians that what President Vladimir Putin is calling his “special military operation” in Ukraine is about to come true.
Russia on May 3 accused Ukraine of firing two drones at the Kremlin in an alleged attempt to kill Putin. Kiev denied involvement in the incident.
On May 30, Russia said it shot down or diverted eight Ukrainian drones in an attack on several districts of Moscow. An aide to Ukraine’s president denied direct involvement by Kiev, but said it was “pleased to follow events” and predicted more such attacks.
Reporting by Mark Trevelyan, Tatiana Gomozova and Felix Light; Edited by Kevin Liffey
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