Ukraine carried out overnight drone strikes targeting Russia's strategically important Rostov Sea Trade Port and a state fuel depot in Udmurtia, resulting in multiple casualties and damage across several regions, according to Russian officials and open-source intelligence.
The Rostov Sea Trade Port, a key export hub near the Sea of Azov handling international shipping, was struck, with smoke seen rising from its fourth cargo district.
The attack also hit residential buildings and warehouses, causing fires and structural damage.
Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar reported two deaths and five injuries from the assault, noting damage to vehicles, apartment windows, and social facilities.
In the Udmurtia Republic, located about 1,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, drones targeted the Prioritet fuel storage complex, a major state oil reserve facility intended for emergencies.
Although a nearby warehouse was evacuated, it was not damaged.
Udmurtia Governor Alexander Brechalov described the attack as the republic's "most massive" drone strike in recent months, with no casualties reported.
In Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, drone attacks wounded 12 people, including two children, and damaged residential buildings and vehicles, causing power outages that disrupted street lighting and water supplies, regional authorities stated.
Russia's defense ministry said air defenses intercepted 276 drones during the night, shooting down many over the regions of Belgorod, Kursk, Volgograd, and Rostov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strikes, stating on social media that long-range attacks were effective in Rostov and targeted oil facilities in Yaroslavl and Udmurtia, far from the frontline.
In Rostov-on-Don, the deaths included a married couple and a child found under rubble, with five others injured, two critically, according to Governor Slyusar.
In Belgorod, the regional operational headquarters reported the injuries and damage from drone strikes, including fires in residential areas.
Additional drone attacks caused a fire at an oil refinery in Volgograd after debris from intercepted drones fell onto the site, requiring nearly 100 firefighters to respond.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported one death and two injuries from a drone and guided bomb attack.
In northern Sumy, a Russian aerial bomb wounded five people, including an elderly woman suffering severe burns.
Russian forces also targeted vessels carrying military cargo in Mykolaiv port, reflecting escalated military activity around the Black Sea and Azov Sea regions, with both sides attacking dozens of ships recently.
