MOSCOW: Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least two people across Russia’s Volga region overnight on August 2 and hit a Wildberries warehouse in Samara, regional officials said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted 635 fixed-wing drones during the night. However, independent sources could not verify the ministry’s figure. Reuters reported the attacks across several Russian regions.
Saratov Governor Roman Busargin said a drone struck a residential building in Engels, killing two people. The attack also damaged civilian infrastructure in Engels and the neighbouring city of Saratov.
Authorities issued a drone warning at about 4am Saratov time on August 2. Russian aviation officials also temporarily restricted flights at airports serving Saratov, Samara, Penza and Ulyanovsk.
Read: Kyiv Missile Attack Kills Nine, Injures More Than 30
Meanwhile, Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said drones struck a Wildberries warehouse about 800 kilometres from Ukraine’s most advanced military positions. The attack caused a fire, but officials reported no casualties.
Read: Moscow Restaurant Bombing Kills 3, Wounds at Least 21
Wildberries said emergency crews responded at the facility. The Russian online retailer redirected deliveries and shipments through other logistics centres.
Separately, Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov said air defence units repelled a major attack on industrial facilities. They downed one drone over an industrial area in Ufa while firefighters tackled a blaze.
Ukraine has expanded its campaign against economic, logistics and energy facilities deep inside Russia. Ukrainian forces have attacked about a dozen Wildberries sites since July 18, Reuters reported.
The strikes followed a Russian missile and drone attack that killed at least nine people and injured 33 in Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said. The Associated Press reported extensive damage across the Ukrainian capital.
