Ukrainian drones strike Tambov Gunpowder Plant in the Russian city of Kotovsk, leaving huge explosion in the skies
- The Kremlin has threatened Ukraine's allies over attacks into Russian territory
This is the shocking moment a Ukrainian drone tore through a gunpowder factory in western Russia in the latest strike aiming to dent Russia's military logistics, a Kyiv security source claimed.
Video showed what appeared to be a missile travelling through the air before disappearing behind a hill and erupting in a huge mushroom cloud.
Smoke billowed high above the city of Kotovsk, in Russia's Tambov region, after 'explosive drones' allegedly hit the factory, a source from Ukraine's defence sector told news agency AFP today.
The extent of damage and information about enemy losses were still being assessed, according to the source.
Earlier, the local governor Maxim Egorov from Tambov said on Telegram that two drones had been reported in the region and both had been 'destroyed', without causing damage or casualties.
The drone appeared to disappear behind a hill before a huge cloud of smoke erupted
A Ukrainian defence source said explosive drones were used to target the factory in Russia
A Ukrainian serviceman launches a drone to fly over Russian positions on June 30, 2024
The Ukrainian defence source said the site produced ammunition and gunpowder for small arms and had been targeted by drones in January and November.
Ukraine over recent months has also claimed a series of strikes on Russian refineries and oil storage facilities not only in border regions but also in territories hundreds of kilometres from the border.
Tensions have ratcheted up in recent weeks, since the United States gave its blessing for Ukraine to use donated weapons on targets within Russia.
The US stopped short of greenlighting the use of ground-launched ATACMS missiles, delivering devastating long-range blows.
Officials defended the decision to allow Ukraine to strike into Russian territory with its weapons as a 'necessary' adjustment following Russia's reopened offensive around the northern city of Kharkiv in May.
'The hallmark of our engagement has been to adapt and adjust as necessary, to meet what's actually going on on the battlefield, to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, when it needs it,' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month.
Russia responded with threats against Ukraine's foreign backers, Russian President Vladimir Putin warning in late May there would be 'grave consequences' if western countries gave approval to Ukraine to use their weapons in strikes on Russia.
British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron also faced backlash from the Kremlin over lifting restrictions on Ukraine using British-supplied weapons to fire into Russia.
'In terms of what the Ukrainians do, in our view, it is their decision about how to use these weapons, they're defending their country, they were illegally invaded by Putin and they must take those steps,' he said on May 2, appearing to back away from previous restrictions on only striking targets within Ukraine.
Today's attack comes as Russia has been launching a systematic strike campaign targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing lasting damage to critical facilities and spurring the introduction of scheduled outages.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to Kyiv's allies to supply more air defence systems to thwart Russian missile and drone barrages.
Zelensky has said systematic Russian attacks on energy facilities have halved Ukrainian electricity production compared to one year ago.
Russian strikes killed two people and wounded 26 today in Ukrainian regions stretching from the south to the east and northeast, local authorities said.
A missile strike in southern Odesa region killed a woman, injured seven people and damaged port infrastructure, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.
In northeastern Kharkiv region, a second woman was killed and a man wounded in a strike by a Russian guided bomb on the village of Ruska Lozova, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Nine others, including four children, were wounded in a drone attack and shelling in the town of Novohrodivka, in the frontline Donetsk region, governor Vadym Filashkin said.
An aerial view of the destroyed Novyy district in the town of Chasiv Yar, Ukraine on July 4
Law enforcers examine the crater from an impact in a residential area after the Russian glide bomb attack in Kharkiv on July 3
Russian soldiers fire from a 152-mm Howitzer at Ukrainian troops in Ukraine, provided July 3
Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak reported seven wounded in the southern town of Nikopol. He had said earlier that Russian forces had attacked areas near Nikopol with drones and artillery on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
Lysak later reported that a woman died of injuries sustained on Wednesday in the region's main city, Dnipro. Seven people died in that attack.
Two civilians in the southern city of Kherson were wounded in a drone strike, the local administration said.
All the affected regions have been subjected to repeated attacks since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, but thousands of people have been killed and wounded.
