On Saturday morning, Ukraine launched drone attacks, bringing the war into the heart of Russia. According to local officials, these drones attacked residential buildings in Kazan, Tatarstan, over 600 miles (1000 kilometers) from the frontlines.
The President of Tatarstan Republic, Rustam Minnikhanov, revealed that a total of eight drones targeted Kazan, with six hitting residential buildings, one striking an industrial facility, and another being shot down while flying over a river.
Video footage released by a local telegram news channel, Astra, showed two drones hitting the top floors of two high-rise buildings, causing massive explosions and fires.
Kazan is located approximately 500 miles from Moscow. In late October of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a summit for BRICS leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Kazan.
Authorities in Kazan reported no casualties. Flights at Kazan Airport were suspended, and all large gatherings for Saturday and Sunday were canceled.
Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, as it goes against their security policy. Previously, Ukraine used missiles provided by the United States to strike a town in the border region of Kursk, Russia, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including a child.
In the early hours of Saturday, Moscow sent 113 drones to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 57 drones were shot down during the attack, while 56 drones are considered “missing” possibly due to electronic interference.
The Governor of Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, Oleh Syniehubov, stated that a drone attack by Russian forces on Friday night left eight people injured in Kharkiv city.
Ivan Fedorov, the Governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, revealed that on Friday night, a nine-story residential building was damaged by drone shrapnel, resulting in four injuries.
Russian troops continue to advance slowly in eastern Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that their forces had gained control of the village of Kostiantynopolske in Donetsk Oblast, located just six miles from the besieged city of Kurakhove they are attempting to encircle.
According to Reuters, the Russian Embassy in London issued a statement on Saturday accusing the UK of preparing to leverage frozen Russian assets as collateral to provide Ukraine with a £2 billion ($2.5 billion) loan, labeling it as a “fraud scheme.”
In October of this year, the UK government announced as part of a larger financial aid package utilizing frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank within the G7 framework, they would provide a £22.6 billion loan to Ukraine to assist in Kyiv’s procurement of weapons and restoration of infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.
In July, the G7 and EU officials reached a consensus to provide Ukraine with $500 billion in financial assistance using interest from frozen Russian assets overseas.
(Information sourced from POLITICO)