Moscow [Russia], June 15: Ukrainian drone strikes have triggered fires at industrial facilities in Russia's Tula and Yaroslavl regions, according to their governors, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying on Sunday the attacks were a response to Russia's refusal to end the war.
In the Tula region, south of Moscow, Governor Dmitry Milyaev reported that debris from a downed drone fell onto the site of a chemical plant in Novomoskovsk.
Unconfirmed video footage and reports emerged on social media showing a fire, suggesting that the Azot facility, one of Russia's largest chemical plants, was hit. The site is important to the Russian war economy. It produces mainly fertilizer, but also components for the production of ammunition in defence industries. The governor initially provided no details about the extent of the damage or possible health risks to the population.
In Oryol - around 350 kilometres west of Moscow - a drone struck a residential high-rise building, Governor Andrei Klychkov said. One person was killed in the targeted attack and eight others were injured, he said. The official also published photographs of the damage.
In the Yaroslavl region, Governor Mikhail Yevrayev spoke of a drone attack on industrial facilities used for fuel storage. A fire broke out, but there were no injuries, he said.
The Ukrainian SBU intelligence service said later on Sunday that several drones hit a fuel depot in Rybinsk, which is used as a state reserve.
The SBU stated that the fuel stored there, including petrol and diesel, was being used to supply the Russian army - and was therefore a legitimate target. A video released by Zelensky showed a major fire with plumes of black smoke and drones flying overhead.
"Ukraine is carrying out its plan of long-range sanctions against Russia," Zelensky wrote on X.
Source: Qatar Tribune
