Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks across Russia overnight, according to the Russian Defence Ministry, in what seemed to be an assault on the country's energy infrastructure.
Air defenses intercepted 50 drones across eight Russian regions, including 26 in the western Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border.
Two people died in the barrage, a woman with a broken leg and her caregiver, after explosions triggered a fire that engulfed their home, Belgorod official Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on social media.
A pregnant woman and her unborn child were also killed in shelling later on Saturday, he added.
Drones were also reported downed over Bryansk, Kursk, Tula, Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga, and Moscow regions, spanning Russia’s west and south.
Russia's Defence Ministry claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet, without providing further details. These claims have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian officials generally avoid commenting on attacks inside Russian territory. However, many recent drone strikes appeared to target Russia's energy infrastructure.
In the Kaluga region, the head, Vladislav Shapsha, reported that a drone strike caused a fire at an electrical substation. Similarly, Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz and Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin mentioned fires at fuel and energy facilities.
Russian refineries and oil terminals have increasingly become prime targets for Ukrainian drone attacks, part of an escalation of assaults on Russian soil.
Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives approved a $61 billion aid package to support Ukraine, which could be a crucial source of assistance for the Ukrainian military, given its diminishing munitions stockpiles amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
