This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
At least six people were killed in Russian shelling and missile strikes on Ukrainian targets as Moscow claimed Kyiv had launched a “mass” drone attack on occupied Crimea and several regions inside Russia.
Five civilians were killed and 11 others were wounded by Russian shelling of civilian areas in Donetsk, which was targeted 22 times over the past 24 hours, the head of the regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, reported on June 21. Private houses, nonresidential buildings, and an industrial facility were damaged by the shelling, Filashkin added.
In the southern region of Kherson, one person was killed and one was wounded by Russian shelling and air strikes from across the Dnieper River, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
A total of 15 settlements were struck in the region, including the regional capital, Kherson, Prokudin said, adding that a number of private houses were destroyed by the shelling.
The northeastern region of Kharkiv, which has been under constant Russian fire for the past several months, was again struck overnight and one person was wounded, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said.
The regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Sumy also came under attack, local officials reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that its air defense systems shot down 114 Ukrainian drones over occupied Crimea and the Russian regions of Krasnodar, Bryansk, and Volgograd in what it said was a “massive” attack early on June 21 that killed one person and wounded four others.
The Ilsky oil refinery in the Seversk district of Krasnodar was hit by falling debris that ignited a fire which was put out by firemen, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram.
Drone debris also fell near a bus station in Krasnodar, hitting a boiler installation and killing an employee, Kondratyev added.
The ministry also said its forces repelled a drone attack on a military airfield in Yeisk, in the Krasnodar region, adding that local authorities reported no damage or casualties. However, the Crimean WindTelegram channel said several fires could be seen at the airfield in Yeisk, which is located by the Sea of Azov, some 35 kilometers from the Ukrainian shore.
Ukraine’s General Staff, meanwhile, reported that over the past two nights, its forces “successfully hit” a number of objects in Russia and occupied Crimea, including oil refineries, radar stations, and drone storage sites.
