MOSCOW: A Ukrainian drone attack on a house in a small Russian border village has killed five persons, including two children, the regional governor of Kursk confirmed on Saturday.
The strike, carried out with what Governor Alexei Smirnov described as a “copter”-style drone, targeted a residence in the village of Gorodishche, located just meters away from the Ukraine-Russia border.
“To our great grief, five people were killed … including two small children. Another two members of the family are in serious condition,” Governor Smirnov said in a statement posted on Telegram.
Drone attacks, a tactic utilized by both Ukrainian and Russian forces since the onset of the conflict in February 2022, have escalated tensions and resulted in civilian casualties on both sides of the border.
The use of drones, ranging from small reconnaissance devices to larger craft armed with explosives, has become a prevalent method of warfare in the region. Ukraine has reportedly intensified its drone operations into Russian territory this year, targeting energy installations it claims support Russian military activities, as well as civilian areas near the border.
In response to Ukrainian incursions, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a significant ground offensive last month into Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, citing the need to establish a “buffer zone” and protect the Russian border regions from shelling.
The Kursk region, where the fatal drone attack occurred on Saturday, lies north of Kharkiv and borders Ukraine’s Sumy region, currently under Kyiv’s control.
