Image credits: Aak TakA Ukrainian drone strike targeted the Russian city of Kazan on Saturday, hitting six residential high-rise buildings and causing significant damage. Videos of the incident quickly went viral across social media platforms and Telegram channels.
Russian state media confirmed the attack, reporting a total of eight drone impacts in Kazan, located roughly 800 kilometers east of Moscow. Despite the extensive damage to buildings, local authorities stated that no injuries or fatalities were reported. Emergency services were deployed to the scene to manage the evacuation of affected residents.
In response to the attack, Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation watchdog, announced the temporary suspension of all flights at Kazan airport. Flights at Izhevsk airport, northeast of Kazan, were also restricted.
Ukraine launches drone attack on Russia#Ukraine #Russia #UkraineRussiaWar #DroneAttack pic.twitter.com/d2TYHbyxRK
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 21, 2024
Escalating Cross-Border Attacks
The drone strike on Kazan follows heightened tensions and reciprocal attacks between Russia and Ukraine. On Friday, a missile strike in Russia’s Kursk region left five people dead and 12 injured, according to Governor Alexander Khinshtein. Moscow accused Ukraine of using U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets to target civilian infrastructure, including a school and a dormitory.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces reported intercepting and destroying 57 Russian drones during a nighttime assault on Kyiv. Ukrainian air defenses also neutralized five Iskander missiles, though falling debris caused localized damage, including to a building housing multiple diplomatic missions.
In a controversial statement on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed testing the capabilities of Russia’s new Oreshnik hypersonic missile by targeting Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the suggestion, calling Putin’s remarks insensitive amid ongoing casualties from the conflict.
This escalation underscores the growing intensity of cross-border operations in the nearly three-year-long conflict.
