Russia says it intercepted 1,198 Ukrainian drones overnight
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Al Jazeera
Russia says it intercepted 1,198 Ukrainian drones overnight, while four people were killed in Volgograd. The attacks come despite US diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire, according to Al Jazeera.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that it had intercepted 1,198 Ukrainian drones overnight in more than 15 regions of Russia, during a wave of attacks that targeted oil infrastructure among other sites. Moscow Mayor Sergueï Sobianine, for his part, said, according to RIA Novosti, that 467 drones had reached the capital.
In Volgograd, southern Russia, four people were killed and two others injured in an industrial area, according to regional governor Andreï Bocharov. Unverified images shared on social media appeared to show a fire at a large oil refinery in the city, but there was no official confirmation of an attack on the facility, reports Al Jazeera.
Ukraine also reported Russian attacks. The Odesa military administration said at least two people had been killed in strikes targeting the Ukrainian port since Friday morning, while emergency services reported six people injured in Zaporizhzhia district. A hospital in Kyiv was also hit by a Russian drone attack, injuring one person, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The attacks come as US envoys, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, continue efforts to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s Defence Ministry also said it had targeted in the Black Sea a cargo vessel carrying weapons and military equipment intended for Ukrainian forces, according to the TASS news agency.
