Falling drone fragments have caused a fire in the western city of Toropetz, officials said
Partial evacuation has been ordered in Toropetz, a city of 11,000 to the northwest of Moscow, where “fragments” of a downed Ukrainian drone started a fire, Tver Region Governor Igor Rudenya said in the early hours of Wednesday.
The city’s air defenses were activated to intercept an enemy UAV, Rudenya said. He added that emergency services are responding to the blaze caused by “the falling drone fragments.”
The governor has ordered “partial evacuation of residents from the territory where the air defenses are active and [responders] are working to contain the fire,” according to a statement from his office. There are no reports of any casualties.
A total of 54 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight in five Russian regions, the Defense Ministry said, as quoted by the TASS news agency.
READ MORE: Kremlin responds to Ukrainian attacks on Moscow Region
A kamikaze drone has hit a bus in the border city of Shebekino, injuring four civilians, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. With the pre-conflict population of 40,000, the city has been frequently shelled and attacked by drones since 2022.
Ukraine has stepped up its drone raids deep inside Russia in recent months, mainly targeting energy infrastructure, but also hitting residential areas. Earlier this month, UAVs struck three tall apartment blocks in the city of Ramenskoye outside Moscow, killing one person and injuring three others.