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Ukraine carried out large-scale strikes on central Russia overnight, targeting a number of warehouses and an oil facility, according to Kyiv and local Russian authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had hit two “major” logistics facilities in the regions of Moscow and Tambov as part of Kyiv’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia.
“The aggressor used them to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media, adding that an oil facility was also hit.
Two warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries were targeted in the strikes, according to Tatyana Kim, the company’s founder.
“Seven people working the night shift were killed at the scene,” Yevgeny Pervyshov, the head of the Tambov region, wrote on Telegram, adding that 25 others were injured in the attack.
One person was also killed and 37 were injured in a drone attack on a Wildberries logistics centre in Elektrostal in the Moscow region, authorities reported.
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show a large fire at the scene of one strike.
Earlier on Saturday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced that 370 drones were heading for the Moscow region. He said that air defences had “neutralised” most of the drones and that 64 were destroyed. Euronews has been unable to independently verify these figures.
For its part, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian logistics facilities, including sorting facilities operated by Nova Poshta, a private Ukrainian mail and courier service. The Russian Ministry of Defence has said that such facilities are used by Ukraine to store and assemble drones.
In June, Nova Poshta CEO Yevhen Tafiichuk said a Russian missile attack had destroyed the company’s “largest and most innovative terminal.”
The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 90 attack drones and seven missiles at Ukraine overnight, particularly targeting the Odesa region. As of early Saturday morning, local air defences had intercepted one missile and 69 drones, it added.
A drone attack on Kherson on Saturday morning also injured at least nine people, according to the Kherson Oblast Military Administration.
Ukraine has ramped up its long-range attacks on Russian industrial and energy sites in recent months, particularly targeting oil facilities such as refineries and depots.
Ukraine’s strikes have led to a fuel crisis across large parts of Russia and Russian-occupied territories, with many locals facing petrol shortages and rising prices.
In response, the Kremlin moved to ban diesel exports in an effort to soften the impact, while fuel rationing has also been introduced in some regions.
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