Ukraine’s Drone Offensive Inflicts Damage and Chaos in Russian Territories
Moscow, October 1, 2023 – Russia experienced another wave of Ukrainian drone attacks and shelling on Sunday, resulting in injuries to three individuals and the diversion of flights at a local airport. Since Ukraine initiated its counteroffensive in early June, Russian border regions have reported nearly daily drone strikes and shelling targeting civilian areas.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, reported, “On Sunday morning, the armed forces of Ukraine shelled the area of the central market in Shebekino. According to preliminary information, there are three victims – a woman suffered shrapnel wounds to the neck, while two other men suffered shrapnel wounds to their legs.”
The governor of the Bryansk region, also situated on the border, disclosed that Ukrainian shelling damaged houses and two administrative buildings in a village but did not result in casualties.
Simultaneously, five drones were reportedly shot down over the Smolensk region, west of Moscow, with another drone downed over the Krasnodar region on the Black Sea coast. Sochi airport imposed a temporary flight restriction on the morning of October 1, leading to the diversion of six flights to alternate aerodromes. Additionally, the Crimea Bridge, which connects the Moscow-annexed peninsula to the Russian mainland, briefly closed on Sunday for undisclosed reasons.
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The escalating tensions follow Ukraine’s claim of responsibility for a missile strike targeting the headquarters of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea, dealing a significant blow to the Kremlin.
