Drone attack in Rostov Oblast causes blackouts, fire

Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, June 16, 2023. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A drone attack in the city of Morozovsk in Russia's Rostov Oblast caused a fire and disruptions to the local power supply, Russian officials and news outlets reported early on June 14.

Russian air defense units faced a "mass attack" of drones in the region's Morozovsk district, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev reported. The attack left some parts of the area without power.

Russia downed 87 Ukrainian drones over its territory overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.

According to the ministry, Russian air defense shot down 70 drones over Rostov Oblast, six over Voronezh Oblast, six over Kursk Oblast, two over Belgorod Oblast, two over Volgograd Oblast, and one over occupied Crimea.

"Several settlements have fallen into the blackout zone," Golubev said.

A fire also broke out in the city, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported. Local residents reported hearing explosions.

Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine to the southeast. Reports of drone attacks against the region's oil infrastructure have increased in spring 2024.

The region's Morozovsk district is also home to a Russian military airbase.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industryand military hardware.

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