Ukraine drone attack sets Russian munitions depot ablaze

This handout photograph published on the official Telegram account of the Voronezh region governor Aleksandr Gusev, on January 16, 2024, shows damage to an apartment building following a drone attack in Voronezh. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

MOSCOW — An overnight Ukrainian drone attack set a Russian munitions depot ablaze in the region of Voronezh near the border between the two neighbors, local authorities said on Sunday.

“Several drones were detected and destroyed overnight by air defense systems above the Voronezh region,” regional governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram.

“Their falling debris set off a fire in a depot” in the Podgorenski district where “explosives began to detonate”, Gusev said, adding that there were no indications anybody had been hurt.

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Rescue teams were at the scene and Gusev said local people living near the depot were being evacuated.

Russia and Ukraine have used drones, including large explosive devices with a range of hundreds of kilometers (miles), extensively since Russia launched its military operation in February 2022.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian territory this year, targeting both energy sites it says supply the Russian army and towns and villages just across the border.

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