Ukrainian drone raid leaves 150,000 without power in Russia
The assault began late Monday night and continued for over an hour. Ukrainian forces reportedly launched dozens of UAVs that targeted infrastructure across Donetsk, Makeyevka, and Yasinovataya, causing widespread blackouts after several electrical substations were struck.
Local witnesses reported loud explosions and the sound of UAVs across several districts, with air defenses active throughout the night. A major blaze was seen in Donetsk's Kuibyshevsky district, while one drone reportedly crashed into a residential building in the Kievsky district. Emergency crews were deployed to multiple sites. No civilian injuries were reported in Donetsk as of Tuesday morning.
In the neighboring Rostov Region, Governor Yury Slyusar confirmed that Ukrainian drones were intercepted over five districts: Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Salsk, Volgodonsk, Bokovsky, and Tarasovsky.
Despite air defenses, several drones struck civilian areas. One fatality was reported in Volgodonsk, where a drone strike damaged a vehicle, killing the driver. A private home in Salsk sustained roof damage and broken windows, while a fire also broke out at a local railway station.
At least one passenger train 'was moved to a safe distance' amid the raid, according to Slyusar. Russian Railways (RZhD) reported that train traffic through Salsk station in Rostov Region was temporarily suspended after drone debris caused a fire on a freight train. There were no injuries, and the blaze was quickly contained, the company said.
Ukraine has been conducting UAV raids deep into Russian territory for months, often striking residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. The Russian government has condemned the attacks as 'terrorist acts' that deliberately target civilians. In May, a string of suspected Ukrainian sabotage operations on Russian railroads caused the derailment of a passenger train in Bryansk Region, killing seven civilians and injuring dozens more.
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