Moscow has vowed to respond to Ukrainian attacks within its borders after a drone set fire to a warehouse allegedly storing munitions, prompting a state of emergency in Russia’s south-western Voronezh region.
The drone attack took place in a settlement in the Podgorensky district, Voronezh governor Aleksandr Gusev said on Sunday.
Ukrainian sources said the warehouse was targeted because it was being used to supply ammunition to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
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“Several UAVs were detected and destroyed by on-duty air defence forces over the territory of the Voronezh region last night. A fire broke out at a warehouse due to the fall of their wreckage. Detonation of explosive items began in the Podgorensky district,” Gusev said.
He did not identify 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 checks, he said.
“Operational services, military and officials are working on the site to eliminate the emergency,” he said, adding arrangements have been made for the evacuation of residents from nearby villages as well.
“So far, some 50 people from three settlements have been transported to temporary accommodation centres. We are providing them with all the necessary assistance,” he said.
A Ukrainian source familiar with the matter said drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) targeted the warehouse because it was being used to supply ammunition to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
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“The enemy was storing surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, shells for tanks and artillery, and boxes of ammunition for firearms on an area of 9000 square meters,” the source said. CNN is not able to independently verify those claims.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a state broadcaster following the attack that “the president has said that we would respond – and I am convinced that you will see it in the foreseeable future.”
“They – the United States and NATO – keep on saying that they are not at war with Russia. This is not a brave face on a bad situation, that’s what I’ll say, and they understand it perfectly well,” Lavrov said, according to state news agency TASS.
Meanwhile, new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy his Labour government would continue its military aid for Ukraine.
Starmer made the pledge as he took phone calls from world leaders congratulating him on his landslide victory in last week’s general election.
The British Prime Minister will join other NATO leaders at this week’s summit in Washington to mark the 75th anniversary of the western alliance. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles will also be attending.
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