The governor of the Voronezh region in Russia, Alexander Gusev, announced on Wednesday that Ukraine launched more than 35 drones at the region, located hundreds of kilometers south of Moscow, overnight. He added via the Telegram app: "No injuries occurred." Authorities in the Kursk, Voronezh, and Bryansk regions reported that Russian air defenses shot down drones coming from Ukraine during the night.
Meanwhile, the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, declared a state of emergency due to the "extremely difficult" situation in the border region facing Ukrainian shelling. Gladkov stated via Telegram: "The situation in the Belgorod region remains extremely difficult and tense due to the shelling by Ukrainian armed forces," noting "destroyed homes and casualties among civilians." He further mentioned, "To ensure additional protection for the residents and to provide greater support for the victims, a state of emergency will be imposed at the regional level" starting Wednesday.
Gladkov reported drone attacks on the villages of Shebekino and Ostyanka in the region. In this context, Russian media reported that air defenses shot down 117 Ukrainian drones and 4 missiles over several areas. Since August 6, Ukraine has been launching a massive offensive in the neighboring Kursk region, announcing control over more than a thousand square kilometers of Russian territory.
For their part, Russian authorities admitted on Monday that Ukrainian forces penetrated the area to a depth of at least 12 kilometers and a width of 40 kilometers, taking control of 28 towns. Since the invasion in February 2022, Russia has gained control over areas in southern and eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian cities have faced a barrage of missile and drone strikes.
