Drones have struck high-rise residential buildings in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, during a wave of attacks that temporarily forced the city’s airport to suspend flights.
According to Radio Free Europe’s Tatar-Bashkir service, Tatarstan authorities reported that eight drones targeted Kazan on the morning of Saturday, December 21.
Five of the drones hit residential buildings.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that the drones were of Ukrainian origin, although Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident.
A statement released on Telegram by Kazan’s mayor’s office indicated that residential areas in three districts of the city were targeted by the drones.
The Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Free Europe reported that students were evacuated from schools in the Soviet district of Kazan, and sirens could be heard throughout the city.
There has been no official announcement regarding the number of casualties.
According to Interfax, Kazan’s mayor, Ilsur Metshin, stated that people were evacuated from affected buildings and were being provided with shelter and food.
Kazan is located about 800 kilometers east of Moscow.
In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that a “Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan by the air defense forces on duty.”
The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia issued a statement confirming that “temporary restrictions have been imposed on Kazan Airport on the morning of December 21 to ensure the safety of civilian flights.”
In the past, Ukrainian drone attacks have primarily targeted Russian military and industrial sites in the region.
Social media footage shows several instances of drones hitting high-rise buildings, causing explosions and fires.
