At least 13 killed in Ukrainian drone strike on Russia's Tatarstan region, officials say

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A refining and petrochemical plant in Nizhnekamsk (stock photo)

At least 13 people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian republic of Tatarstan, officials have said.

One child was among the victims with 39 more people injured, Russian authorities said, in one of the deadliest single attacks on Russia since the start of Moscow's full-scale war in Ukraine.

Kyiv has not yet commented on the attack on the city of Nizhnekamsk, which is more than 1,100 kilometres (680m) from the Ukrainian border and home to several major oil refineries and a large petrochemical company.

The strike lasted several hours overnight and into the morning, local sources say.

Unverified images on social media show large plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky in daytime, with air raid sirens howling in the background.

Although there is no official information yet on the target of the attack, Kyiv has recently stepped up its strikes on facilities it says contribute revenue and logistics to Russia's war on Ukraine.

The head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, confirmed the strike and shared his condolences with the families of the deceased.

"This is a tremendous pain for all of us," said Nizhnekamsk mayor Radmir Belayev.

A period of mourning has been declared in Tatarstan.

More than 450 Ukrainian drones were shot down by the Russian air defences overnight, Moscow said.

Kyiv has become increasingly successful at carrying out long-range strikes on Russia, often targeting warehouses or energy infrastructure, with civilian casualties mounting.

Russia, meanwhile, continues to target Ukraine with regular large-scale aerial attacks on cities and residential centres mounting. Last week, a combined drone and missile strike on Kyiv killed 21 people.

And in Kharkiv, near the front line, five people were killed overnight in a Russian artillery attack.

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