Ukraine is defending itself against Russian air attacks with its own drones.

Parallel to the devastating Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, Kyiv has also subjected its neighboring country to heavy drone attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry reported the downing of 174 drones over the regions of Bryansk, Rostov, Saratov, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Ryazan, Tula, Belgorod, Tambov, and the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in 2014. "In addition, three Neptun-MD guided missiles were destroyed by air defenses over the Black Sea." Despite the Russian military's claims of success, there were also several strikes.

A high-rise building was hit in the city of Engels in the Saratov region. There were no injuries, the building was briefly evacuated, but the residents have since returned, said Saratov Governor Roman Bussargin. "A drone attack caused a fire at one of Engels's industrial facilities," he also wrote. According to media reports, the fire was a refinery. Engels is home to a large Russian air base. The refinery is located in the immediate vicinity of the base, from which aircraft frequently take off to attack Ukraine.

In the Bryansk region, there was also an impact near a military airfield. Videos posted by local residents show a large fireball and several explosions. According to independent military blogger Yan Matveyev, this indicates that an ammunition depot was hit.

According to acting governor Yevgeny Pervyshov, a factory in the Tambov region was hit. Three people were injured in the impact. No further details were provided about the factory.

Meanwhile, there was another attack on the railway in the border region of Belgorod: A reserve locomotive derailed after an explosion. There were no injuries, authorities reported. However, the line was initially closed.

There have already been several attacks on railway infrastructure in recent days. In one case, a passenger train derailed, resulting in several deaths and injuries.