Ukraine drones target key Russian explosive manufacturer, Moscow

A file photo taken on August 11, 2024, shows Ukrainian military drone operators preparing a Poseidon reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle on their position, in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

• Russian air defense units downed 110 Ukrainian drones over Russia
• Four firefighters received minor shrapnel wounds in a drone attack on an industrial zone

KYIV: Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 31 out of 49 drones launched by Russian forces in their latest overnight strike across various parts of Ukraine, Kyiv’s air force said on Sunday.
It added that 13 drones had been “locationally lost” and that two had flown into neighboring Belarus.
Russian air defense units downed 110 Ukrainian drones over Russia, the defense ministry said, including one over the Moscow region, 43 over the border region of Kursk, and 27 over southwestern Lipetsk region.
The Russian SHOT Telegram channel reported that drones attempted to strike the Ya. M. Sverdlov State Owned Enterprise in Dzerzhinsk city, Nizhny Novgorod region, about 400 km (250 miles) east of Moscow.
The plant, one of the largest manufacturers of explosives used by Russian forces in the war that Moscow launched against Ukraine in February 2022, is subject to sanctions by the United States and the European Union.
Four firefighters received minor shrapnel wounds in a drone attack on an industrial zone in Dzerzhinsk city, the region’s governor said, without specifying the target of the attack.
The Russian defense ministry said on Telegram that eight Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Nizhny Novgorod. Residents reported powerful explosions and white smoke in the area of ​​the plant, SHOT reported.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that debris fell in the Ramensky district of Moscow region but there was no damage or casualties.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about the drone attacks.
Kyiv has often said its air attacks target infrastructure key to Russia’s war efforts and are a response to Moscow’s continued air attacks on Ukraine.
Russian officials often do not disclose full extent of damage inflicted by the drone attacks, especially on military, transport or energy infrastructure.