Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Kazan and the airport there was temporarily shut.
Visuals of the Ukrainian drone hitting the Russian city of Kazan, indicating strikes on many residential high-rise towers, went viral on social media and Telegram channels on 21 Dec 2024.
Russian state media verified the attack, saying eight drone hits, with six hitting residential facilities in Kazan, located approximately 800 kilometres east of Moscow.
What damage did Ukrainian drones cause in Kazan?
The Kazan airport in Russia stopped all outgoing and incoming flights, as reported by Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority, via Telegram, following a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle hitting the city. The Baza Telegram channel, understood for its ties to Russian security organisations has also conveyed an unconfirmed video showing an aerial device hitting a tall building, resulting in a powerful explosion.
A day earlier, Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations over deadly missile walkouts. Moscow said that a missile attack on its Kursk border region claimed five people, while an before strike on Kyiv left one man deceased. According to news agency Reuters, Governor Alexander Khinshtein stated that Ukraine targeted Rylsk, a little village in Russia’s Kursk region, resulting in five casualties and twelve harms.
Khinshtein said that Kyiv used US-provided HIMARS rocket systems to hit civilian buildings, including a school and a pilot training college dormitory. Last year, Russia blamed Ukraine for using cluster munitions to strike a town of about 15,000 residents located nearly 20 miles (30 km) from the border.
How did Ukraine thwart Russian missile and drone strikes?
Ukrainian military officials successfully blocked and destroyed 57 Russian drones during a nighttime raid. Additionally, it was confirmed that 56 other Russian drones collapsed to strike their planned destinations.
Ukraine’s air force also said that Russia undertook five Iskander missiles at Kyiv, all of which were successfully thwarted. However, falling remains caused damage in several communities.
Although Russian aerial raids frequently target the capital, considerable damage is rare due to Kyiv’s powerful air defence system, about three years into Russia’s invasion. The Ukrainian foreign ministry verified damage to a building accommodating multiple embassies, including those of Palestine, Argentina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal, and Albania’s diplomatic mission.
