Two killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Smolensk region, governor says

In brief

• Two people died in Yartsevo, Smolensk region, after drone debris hit an apartment building, according to the regional governor.
• Three workers were hurt in drone strikes on the Ust-Luga port in the Leningrad region, where 150 drones were reportedly shot down overnight.
• The strikes came as U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi ended without an announced breakthrough.

Deaths in Yartsevo

In the city of Yartsevo, two people were killed when drone debris struck an apartment block and set it on fire, Smolensk regional governor Vasily Anokhin said (Ukrainian Drones Kill 2 in Western Smolensk Region as Baltics and Finland Issue Air Alerts – The Moscow Times). He did not disclose any details about the victims. The governor attributed the attack to Ukraine; Kyiv has not confirmed this account in the sources reviewed, and the claim is presented here as the position of Russian officials.

Port of Ust-Luga hit

Farther north, in the Leningrad region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that 150 drones were shot down overnight and that the port of Ust-Luga had been the target (Russia-Ukraine talks end without breakthrough announcement amid barrage of drones – ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos). Several drones struck the port area, igniting a fire and injuring three workers, whose lives are not in danger. Ust-Luga, close to St. Petersburg, handles a large share of Russian energy and commodity exports.

Airspace closures

In the Murmansk region, civil aviation authorities temporarily halted flights at the main airport during an air raid alert, reportedly the first such alert there.

Wider toll

The independent monitoring group Conflict Intelligence Team estimates that nearly 600 Russian civilians have died since the start of the year in Ukrainian attacks.

Read also

• Two dead, 17 injured as Ukrainian drone barrage hits Russia's Voronezh