Russian forces reportedly struck Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, overnight Wednesday, resulting in casualties, according to Ukrainian officials. Simultaneously, Russia claims a Ukrainian drone attack ignited a fire at an oil facility in its southern Krasnodar region, causing fatalities and injuries.
Oleksandr Ganja, the governor of Kryvyi Rih, stated that the Russian attack, utilizing missiles and drones, killed two civilians, a 77-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman. A 53-year-old woman was also reportedly injured. The governor further indicated that the shelling damaged several buildings within the city. Kryvyi Rih, located approximately 80 kilometers from the front lines, has been a frequent target of Russian strikes since the commencement of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a separate incident, Russian local authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil facility in the Krasnodar region resulted in three deaths and eight injuries. According to Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, the attack targeted the village of Volna, igniting fires in four oil product storage tanks within the port area.
Regional authorities confirmed the updated casualty count, marking the latest instance in the ongoing exchange of cross-border attacks between the two nations. Video footage from the scene depicted damaged residential buildings, thick plumes of smoke, and charred vehicles, as rescue teams worked at the site.
Ukrainian authorities have suggested that some of the damage within Russian territory resulted from the actions of Russian air defenses themselves. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine, claimed that a Russian air defense missile struck a residential building in the town of Afipsky in the Adygea region.
The Krasnodar region, situated near the Black Sea, has been subjected to repeated Ukrainian strikes, reportedly in response to ongoing Russian bombardment.
