Drone attack on Voronezh kills two and injures 17; Russia reports strikes on Ukraine

Drone attack on Voronezh

Drones struck the city of Voronezh in western Russia in the early hours of 26 October, setting off explosions and fires across the city. Regional governor Aleksandr Gusev said two people were killed and 17 injured, while air defence systems destroyed 113 drones over the wider region. RTE reported that the injured included a child, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the governor's figures. According to Gusev, fires broke out at several industrial sites, an office building in the city centre and a residential building.

Killed2

Injured17

Killed

2 people

Injured

17 people

Data from the article text

Astra, an independent news agency, published footage that appears to show a drone exploding near the Chizhov Gallery, a 25-storey office complex in central Voronezh. Astra said a drone threat was announced at around 3 a.m. local time, followed by a missile alarm about two hours later. The agency also confirmed fires in residential areas, identified from photos and videos by witnesses near apartment blocks where explosions occurred.

Claimed targets and strikes elsewhere

A Ukrainian Telegram channel, Supernova+, said the Voronezh Aircraft Plant (VASO), a facility considered strategically important to Russia's aviation industry, was among the targets. Russia's defence ministry said it hit a power station in Kharkiv, identified as the PS-330 Zalyutino substation, which it claimed supplies Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises. The ministry also claimed strikes on a warehouse in the surrounding region, a power station in the Khmelnitskiy region and port infrastructure in Chornomorsk. It said it hit a cargo vessel bound for Odesa carrying military supplies for Ukraine's armed forces, but Russian authorities gave no further details on the vessel or the damage. In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian strike injured four people overnight, according to governor Mykhailo Semikin on Telegram, while Ukraine's emergency service reported two people injured in Russian strikes on the Chernihiv region. Rai also reported explosions in Melitopol, a city it described as temporarily occupied, and, citing a social media post, said 20 wagons of a freight train derailed and seven tank cars caught fire in Sverdlovsk region.

Pressure over energy strikes

The United States has pressed Ukraine to suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Washington argues have added to high energy prices. RTE noted that the issue is sensitive for the Trump administration, which is waging a war on Iran, as midterm elections approach in November. In an interview aired on 25 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would halt its strikes only if Moscow stopped hitting Ukraine's power infrastructure. He added that the United States could instead allow Ukraine to use Starshield over Russia to detect missile launch sites, or supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles.

Oleshky evacuation and ceasefire proposal

Zelensky wrote on X that the American side had proposed a ceasefire regime in the Oleshky area starting on 27 October. He said the regime should last several days so that humanitarian missions can reach the area. Zelensky said Russia would have to clear mines from the roads so that some residents could travel into Russia, while others would be evacuated into the Ukrainian-controlled part of the region. He described the main aim as freeing these people from the blockade so they can live, and Il Messaggero reported that some residents of Oleshky would be evacuated from 27 October.