Civilians wounded in Ukrainian ‘kamikaze drone’ raid – authorities
A Ukrainian drone raid on the town of Novaya Kakhovka in Russia’s Kherson Region has left four civilians wounded, local authorities said on Tuesday. The attack comes as the region’s emergency services struggle to deal with the consequences from the collapse of the Kakhovka dam earlier this month, which Moscow claims was targeted by a Ukrainian strike.
In a statement on Telegram, the local administration said that three Ukrainian “kamikaze drones” had attacked a public utility service at around 8am. While one of the UAVs failed to explode, two others injured civilians and damaged utility equipment, the message added.
Officials stated that the victims of the attack were being treated at local hospitals, while a source told TASS that one woman was in a serious condition.
The administration of Novaya Kakhovka also claimed that Ukrainian troops had fired 26 artillery shells at the area in the last 24 hours, targeting civilian infrastructure, but with no precise information yet available on casualties or damage.
The local Kakhovka hydroelectric dam collapsed earlier this month, resulting in the flooding of both banks of the Dnieper River. The incident caused multiple casualties and prompted mass evacuation efforts.
Moscow and Kiev have since traded accusations over who was to blame. Ukraine has claimed that Russia blew up the dam in a bid to hinder Kiev’s counteroffensive, although Moscow has insisted that Ukraine targeted the facility to deprive the Crimean Peninsula of water, and to distract attention from its lackluster performance on the battlefield.
According to the local emergency services, the flooding has claimed the lives of at least 38 people, with another 115 injured. Despite the initial massive flooding, water levels in the inundated areas are reportedly continuing to drop.
The mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, stated last week that the local authorities were attempting to clean up after the dam rupture, but that their main problem remained daily Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks.
