Deadly Ukrainian Drone Assault Claims Life in Russian Kursk Region

Ukrainian drone assaults in the southwestern Kursk region resulted in one fatality and left a firefighter injured, local authorities reported on Friday afternoon.

Governor Alexander Khinshtein of the Kursk region stated that a 57-year-old man was killed while riding his bicycle when a drone struck him, approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.

Additionally, Khinshtein noted that a firefighter was admitted to the hospital with burn injuries due to a separate drone attack in Kursk on the same day.

While Russia’s Defense Ministry did not confirm any Ukrainian drone strikes occurring on Friday, it mentioned that nearly 20 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted in the skies over annexed Crimea and the Black Sea during the morning and early afternoon.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry reported that 77 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over Crimea, the Black Sea, and across seven Russian regions.

Both Ukraine and Russia frequently engage in drone and missile strikes against each other’s territories. Ukrainian officials claim their operations are acts of retaliation for Russia’s extensive invasion and persistent occupation of Ukrainian land.

Specifically, since the summer, Ukraine has increased its attacks on Russia’s energy facilities in an attempt to diminish Moscow’s oil income, which is a crucial funding source for its military activities.