Russia vows response after Ukrainian drone attack sets fire to suspected ammunition depot

CNN
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Moscow has vowed to respond to Ukrainian attacks within its borders after a drone set fire to a warehouse suspected of storing ammunition and subsequently declared a state of emergency in Russia’s southwestern Voronezh region.

The drone attack took place in a settlement in the Podgorensky district, Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said on Sunday. Ukrainian sources said the warehouse was targeted because it is used to supply ammunition to Russian troops in Ukraine.

“Last night, several drones were discovered and destroyed by air defense forces on duty over the territory of the Voronezh region. A fire broke out in a warehouse due to falling debris. An explosive device detonated in Podgorensky district,” Gusev said.

He did not name the settlement where the attack took place, but said a state of emergency had been declared there. No one was injured in the attack, but two elderly women were taken to hospital for examination, he said.

“Emergency services, military and authorities are working on site to end the emergency situation,” he said, adding that arrangements had also been made to evacuate residents from surrounding villages.

“So far, around 50 people from three settlements have been taken to temporary accommodation centres. We are providing them with all the necessary assistance,” he said.

A Ukrainian source familiar with the matter said drones from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attacked the warehouse because it was used to supply ammunition to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

“The enemy stored surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, shells for tanks and artillery, and ammunition boxes for firearms in an area of ​​9,000 square meters,” the source said. CNN is unable to independently verify these claims.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a state broadcaster after the attack: “The president said we would respond – and I am convinced that you will see this in the foreseeable future.”

“They – the United States and NATO – keep claiming that they are not at war with Russia. This is not a brave face in a dire situation, I will say that, and they understand that perfectly,” Lavrov said, according to the state news agency TASS.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that Ukrainian drone attacks were also intercepted in the Belgorod border region during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks in Ukraine continued on Sunday. According to local authorities, at least two people were injured in the Kharkiv region.

Further south in the Kherson region, authorities said rescue workers extinguished 14 fires caused by Russian attacks that damaged residential buildings and cars.