Ukraine’s military said it struck the Tanevo plant in Nizhnekamsk, marking one of the deadliest single attacks on Russian soil since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Kyiv has stepped up strikes on facilities that, in its view, generate revenue and logistics for Russia’s war effort.
The attack on Nizhnekamsk lasted several hours into the morning, according to local sources. Verified images on social media show large plumes of smoke and flames in daylight, with air raid sirens audible. Uzbekistan’s consulate in Tatarstan said seven of the dead were Uzbek citizens. Russia’s RIA news agency reported that most victims were in a hostel at the time of the strike.
Tatarstan’s leader, Rustam Minnikhanov, confirmed the attack and offered condolences to the families. Nizhnekamsk’s mayor, Radmir Belayev, called the deaths an “enormous pain for all of us.” Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, said every civilian death in Russia is on President Vladimir Putin’s conscience. “Without Putin, there would have been no aggression. Without the aggression, these people would still be alive,” he added.
Moscow said all those involved in the attacks would be “inevitably and severely punished.” Russia’s air defense claimed to have shot down more than 450 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight. In the Tyumen region of Siberia, a fire broke out after several drones hit an industrial facility, local authorities said. Kyiv has recently seen success in striking Russian energy infrastructure and warehouses, while Moscow continues to regularly attack Ukrainian cities with air strikes.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
