A Ukrainian drone strike in the southern city of Voronezh early on Tuesday left at least 22 individuals injured, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that it had successfully intercepted numerous drones across several regions overnight.
Voronezh region Governor Alexander Gusev reported that one of the injured was a teenager, and a total of 17 people required hospitalization.
“Most of the injuries resulted from shrapnel and broken glass, but there were various other injuries as well,” Gusev shared on Telegram. “Some injuries are particularly severe: one man is currently in a coma and another has suffered lung injuries.”
He also mentioned that a woman from a nearby area had been admitted to a hospital in Voronezh with a shoulder shrapnel wound.
Images released by local media depicted shattered windows at an office and retail site, with glass littering the roads. A video captured the moment a drone exploded into a fireball upon crashing into a building in the city center.
Veronika, a 27-year-old graduate student who was home in Voronezh visiting her parents for the summer, recounted to The Moscow Times that she woke up to a series of explosions early that morning.
“It was terrifying. I was awake from 5:30 to 6:30 AM without any sleep. I’ve never experienced anything like those explosions before; they were horrifying,” she stated, requesting to be identified only by her first name.
She noted that initially, when Telegram channels began reporting on the attack, there were few comments blaming Ukraine. However, by 10 AM, a sudden influx of comments from bots began appearing, calling for retribution against Ukraine and suggesting harsh measures against President Zelensky.
Despite the anger, Veronika feels that the residents of Voronezh primarily hold Russian air defense systems responsible for their inability to intercept the drones. She also pointed out that the city center has faced weeks of mobile internet outages, believed by officials to be linked to counter-drone efforts.
Karina, a 24-year-old Voronezh resident, expressed her frustration over what she perceived as excessive reactions to the incident among her peers.
“No one died! Why does it feel like everyone is acting like this [drone attack] was so unforeseen? We receive SMS alerts about potential attacks nearly every day, and you can hear air defense systems in action all the time,” she told The Moscow Times.
“People always ask if I’m scared of living here. Personally, I don’t think a drone would ever hit my home,” Karina added.
While Voronezh has faced drone attacks from Ukrainian forces various times since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, it has been targeted considerably less frequently than other major border cities such as Kursk and Belgorod.
Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry cited the destruction of 55 Ukrainian drones overnight, with the majority being shot down over the southwestern Belgorod region and Voronezh.
In Ukraine, reports surfaced of a child being injured due to a Russian strike on a “medical facility” in the northeastern Sumy region.
These attacks followed shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with NATO to provide Ukraine with American air defense systems and weaponry, amidst rising frustration in Washington with Russian President Vladimir Putin for refusing a ceasefire and escalating air assaults.
AFP contributed to this report.
