2 killed as Russia, Ukraine trade accusations concerning overnight strikes - Anadolu Ajansı

At least two people were killed as Russia and Ukraine renewed accusations that the other side carried out overnight airstrikes.

The Russian-installed management at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said in a statement Tuesday evening that two people were killed after a Ukrainian drone strike hit a “civilian vehicle” in motion.

“One of those killed was an employee of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. This is the third plant employee to be killed in the last two weeks, and the 13th since April of this year,” the statement said.

It called the attack "deliberate terrorism," expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of both victims.

Murat Kumbilov, head of the Russian Republic of Adygea, also said on Telegram that a drone attack caused a fire at a logistics center belonging to Russian online retailer Ozon in the town of Adygeysk.

Noting that there are so far no reports of injuries or fatalities, Kumbilov said drone debris also resulted in damage to a gas pipeline and the windows of a private residence in the settlement of Petrov.

Ozon also confirmed the attack on its facilities in Adygeysk, stating that they promptly evacuated all workers from the center, where a fire had broken out.

Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russian logistics facilities in a campaign that began in July and has spread across several Russian regions.

Since July, Ukrainian drones have targeted logistics centers of Russia's largest e-commerce retailer Wildberries in multiple regions, and strikes have expanded to facilities belonging to Ozon since August.

Kyiv has alleged that both retailers are playing a role in Russia’s military supply chain, while Moscow and the two companies maintain that the facilities are commercial.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses downed 709 Ukrainian drones over 14 regions, as well as over the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.

The ministry further claimed that Russia continued its drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and maritime vessels, striking electrical substations in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions, as well as hitting dry-cargo ship “carrying military supplies” about 8 kilometers (5 miles) southwest of the coastal city of Odesa.

In Kyiv, local authorities said that debris fell in an open area near a private house in the capital’s Desnianskyi district, adding: “Information regarding damage and casualties is being clarified.”

Dnipropetrovsk Gov. Oleksandr Hanzha said that two people were injured due to a Russian drone strike on an enterprise in the regional capital, noting that both of those injured were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Meanwhile, Ternopil Gov. Taras Pastukh said that a drone attack damaged an energy infrastructure facility in the region’s Ternopil district, adding that all relevant services have been dispatched to the scene.

Ukraine’s Air Force claimed that it shot down 272 out of 310 drones launched by Russia overnight.

Independent verification of the claims by both sides is difficult due to the ongoing war.