Drone Strikes Across Russian Border as Ukraine Turns Up Heat on Putin—Video

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Drone strikes were reported in the city of Krasnodar in southern Russia overnight, with one explosion damaging buildings, local officials said, as videos circulated on social media showing the blasts.

Krasnodar’s regional governor, Veniamin Kondratiev, said in a post on his Telegram channel that there were no casualties and that the incident is being investigated. He said Krasnodar Mayor Yevgeny Naumov is “on site.”

There has been a notable rise in reports about attacks inside Russian territory in recent weeks, including a drone attack on the Kremlin on May 3 that Ukraine denied responsibility for.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the construction site for the Crimean bridge on March 14, 2018. Russia is bracing for a Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture its occupied territories.
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Residents of the city heard two loud explosions that thundered over Krasnodar at about 4 a.m. local time, Russian Telegram channel Baza reported, publishing a video in which an explosion can be heard.

Russia Telegram channel SHOT reported that the city was “attacked” by drones, saying residents heard at least two explosions. It published a video that showed a burning building and the sound of an explosion, and a photo that purportedly shows the wreckage of a drone in Krasnodar’s Morskaya street.

“Locals claim they first heard a loud buzz in the sky and then two explosions. It all happened around 4 a.m.,” SHOT reported, adding that an office building and a residential building were damaged.

Kondratiev said emergency services and law enforcement agencies were dispatched to Morskaya street.

Local news outlet 93.RU cited Krasnodar mayor Naumov as saying that residential buildings had been damaged. It published images showing an apartment building with shattered windows.

In the neighboring Rostov region, Governor Vasily Golubev said Russia’s air defenses downed “a Ukrainian missile” around Morozovsk.

“An air defense system went off in the Morozovsk area, shooting down a Ukrainian missile. The military is doing their job. Keep calm,” Golubev said in a post on his Telegram channel.

Ukraine hasn’t claimed responsibility for the attacks, and typically denies involvement in strikes inside Russian territory.

The drone attacks come as Russia is bracing for a Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture its occupied territories.

Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, said this week that Ukraine’s counteroffensive “has been going on for several days.”

The head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, told Japanese broadcaster NHK on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces now had the means to start its counteroffensive.

Ukraine said on Friday its air defenses shot down 10 Russian missiles and 25 drones overnight.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukraine foreign ministries for comment via email.

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