Russia declares emergency in southwestern Voronezh after foiling Ukraine's overnight drone attack

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia declared a state of emergency in southwestern Voronezh on Tuesday after foiling Ukraine's overnight drone attack, which damaged several buildings and injured a child.

Voronezh Mayor Vadim Kstenin announced on Telegram that a state of emergency has been declared to allow for "speedy decision-making."

Separately, Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev stated on Telegram that a young girl was injured by fragments from a downed drone, resulting in cut wounds to her arm, leg, and neck.

Both officials reported damage to residential buildings.

“Air defense systems destroyed five and intercepted three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the territory of the Voronezh region, four UAVs were intercepted over the territory of the Belgorod region,” the Russian Defense Ministry said earlier in a statement.

The ministry also claimed that it destroyed three UAVs over the Voronezh region during an attempted attack on Russian territory between 1:50 a.m. and 2:50 a.m. local time (2250GMT and 2350GMT).

Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on Russia’s claims.

Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over airstrikes against each other, which have escalated since late December when at least 40 people were killed in various regions of Ukraine in a massive air attack described by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the "heaviest attack" since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

On Jan. 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would not let “a single crime of this kind” go unpunished following a subsequent raid on the Russian city of Belgorod, which killed 25 people and wounded many others.​​​​​​​