Ukraine’s drone attack sparks fires in Rostov region, Russia says

(Reuters) -An overnight Ukrainian drone attack sparked several fires, including at a power substation, in the southern Russian region of Rostov, the acting regional governor said on Tuesday.

There were no injuries as a result of the attack and the fire at the substation on an area of about 500 square metres (5,400 square feet) has been extinguished, Rostov’s acting governor, Yuri Slyusar, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia’s defence units destroyed a total of 24 Ukrainian drones overnight, including seven over the Rostov region, which has been a frequent target of Ukraine’s strikes, Russia’s defence ministry said on Telegram.

The ministry reports only the number of downed drones, not how many Ukraine launched.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports, and there was no immediate comment from Kyiv.

Ukraine has frequently said its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Moscow’s war efforts and are in response to Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Tom Hogue)