On Monday, 26th August, a drone crashed into a 38-storey high-rise building in Russia’s Saratov region, damaging homes and restricting flights in the region. Russian officials confirmed the incident and affirmed that it was a Ukrainian drone. A woman, as a result of the attack, has been injured and is being treated at the hospital.
As per regional governor Roman Basurgin’s confirmation to Reuters, a residential complex in Saratov has also been damaged by falling debris from drones destroyed by Russia’s air defense systems. “A woman was hospitalized in serious condition. Doctors are fighting for her life,” he said.
Saratov is about 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the Ukrainian border. According to Russia’s RIA news agencies, flights at the provincial Saratov airport have been prohibited, citing the airport’s press service.
BREAKING: Drone Crashes into 38-Storey High Rise Building in Russia's Saratov | WATCH pic.twitter.com/dITjZhPtFN
— Republic (@republic) August 26, 2024
Earlier, Basurgin stated that emergency services had been deployed to impacted areas in Saratov and Engels, two significant cities in the region located several hundred kilometers southeast of the capital. Russia maintains a key bomber military station in Engels, which Ukraine has repeatedly attacked since February 2022.
As of now, it is difficult to state to what extent the damages have occurred as a result of the drone crash. A video of the incident is making rounds on social media in which a high-rise residential building in Saratov can be seen damaged on one side and several windows have been blown out on three other levels.
According to the report, the top story of a residential building in Engels is also said to have been damaged. OpIndia could not independently confirm the stories. Meanwhile, no comment has been made by Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their assaults, which they claim are intended to damage critical infrastructure supporting war activities.
