At least 13 killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Nizhnekamsk | Russia-Ukraine war News
Day of Mourning Declared in Tatarstan After Drone Attack
A day of mourning has been declared in the Russian republic of Tatarstan following a Ukrainian drone strike that killed at least 13 individuals, including a child. The attack occurred on Monday in Nizhnekamsk, approximately 800 kilometers (497 miles) east of Moscow, and injured at least 39 others, according to regional authorities.
Rustam Minnikhanov, head of Tatarstan, condemned the attack as “barbaric,” noting that civilian infrastructure was targeted in a statement shared on Telegram. The incident is part of an ongoing escalation, as the Russian defense ministry reported intercepting over 450 Ukrainian drones overnight amid heavy exchanges between the two nations.
Nizhnekamsk is vital to Russia’s oil industry, housing one of the country’s largest and most sophisticated refineries. Ukraine’s military claimed responsibility for targeting the facility as part of its operations.
Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia, confirmed the casualty figures and stated that the drone strike impacted both industrial and civilian sites, emphasizing that many victims had no ties to military activities. The Russian government has initiated a criminal investigation, labeling the attack a “terrorist act.”
Petrenko stated, “A criminal case has been opened regarding the terrorist attack carried out by Ukrainian armed forces on industrial and civilian facilities in the Republic of Tatarstan.”
Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova reported that the region has seen previous attacks on similar industrial zones in June and July of this year.
In related developments, at least five individuals were killed in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region during what officials described as a significant artillery attack by Russian forces on a residential area. The regional prosecutor’s office reported that the assault took place in a village within the Chuhuiv district, and investigations into potential war crimes are ongoing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a statement posted on X, vowed that attacks on Russian oil refineries would persist, asserting that Moscow is “beginning to feel” the repercussions of the conflict. He criticized Russia’s refusal to end the war and announced plans to converse with international mediators regarding peace talks, while also indicating the procurement of new air defense systems in the near future.
