
Ukrainian drone strikes house in southern Russia – governor (VIDEO)
A Ukrainian drone struck a house in Russia's southern Rostov Region, Governor Yury Slyusar said early Sunday morning.
According to the governor, two adults and two children were evacuated after fragments from a downed UAV sparked a fire on the roof of a home in the village of Tselina.
He added that a non-residential building was also damaged.
Slyusar noted that drones were intercepted in several areas, including the mining towns of Novoshakhtinsk and Kamensk-Shakhtinsky.
The Telegram news outlet Mash reported drone activity in the port town of Taman, across from Crimea, where UAV debris was found on the streets.
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