Moscow, Aug 21. (dpa/GNA) – Russian drone strikes have killed at least two people in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, authorities said on Friday.
An attack with six drones on the village of Lebyazhe, close to the Russian border, killed two women aged 66 and 73, and wounded two more people, Kharkiv regional military governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.
Five houses caught fire, three were destroyed and many others damaged, he added. The region has been the target of heavy Russian attacks in the war, which has been ongoing for four and a half years.
Ukraine’s air defence authority said Russia, deployed a total of 135 drones, of which 107 were shot down. The attacks came one day after 15 people were killed in massive strikes on Kiev.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, repeated his call on Western partners to deliver Patriot missiles to fend off the Russian onslaught.
In retaliatory strikes, Ukraine deployed hundreds of drones against Russian targets. Russian air defences said they shot down 325 Ukrainian drones.
Several airports in the Russian capital temporarily halted flight operations due to an air raid alert in Moscow. Meanwhile, an oil refinery was hit in the Perm region deep in the Russian interior, around 1,000 kilometres north-east of Moscow, according to media reports.
Kiev has stepped up attacks in recent months against Russian oil facilities, aiming to damage Moscow’s war economy. The campaign has triggered a fuel crisis in Russia, with petrol stations frequently running out of fuel or rationing supplies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged problems and damage caused by Ukrainian strikes again this week. He claimed, however, that the situation was not critical and remained under control.
GNA