Moscow, Russia:

An overnight Ukrainian drone attack set a Russian munitions depot ablaze the Voronezh region, near the two countries’ shared border, Russian and Ukrainian officials said Sunday.

“Several drones were detected and destroyed overnight by air defence systems above the Voronezh region,” regional governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram. 

“Their falling debris set off a fire in a depot” in the Podgorensky district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Ukrainian borderm. 

“Explosives began to detonate”, Gusev said, adding that there were no indications anybody had been hurt.

Rescue teams were at the scene and Gusev said local people living near the depot were being evacuated.

A Ukrainian defence source told AFP that its drones hit the munitions factory in an overnight attack.

“The enemy stored surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, shells for tanks and artillery and boxes of ammunition” at the site, which was hit by drones resulting in a “powerful” explosion, the source said.

Russia and Ukraine have used drones, including large explosive devices with a range of hundreds of kilometres (miles), extensively since Russia launched its military offensive in February 2022.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian territory this year, targeting both energy sites it says supply the Russian army and towns and villages just across the border.

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