Russian security forces seized at Mineralnye Vody airport the body of Ingushetia native Ilyas Belkharoев, who died in Poland, and detained two men who had come to meet it. Belkharoев’s relatives intended to bury him in Ingushetia, but his body has not yet been handed over to the family.
Russia’s Krasnodar region came under a large-scale drone attack overnight on August 22, killing two children and injuring two adults, who were taken to hospital. Drone debris also fell on an industrial facility at the port of Yeysk, where a fire broke out, Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
According to Kondratyev, drones targeted residential areas and infrastructure in Yeysk district. One of the drones crashed in a residential area, killing two children and injuring two adults.
A fire also broke out at the port of Yeysk. According to the authorities, drone debris fell on an industrial facility inside the port. Officials have not provided details about the facility or the extent of the damage.
Ukrainian Telegram channels Supernova+ and Exilenova+ reported smoke in the area of the port. They also said a vessel may have been damaged in the attack. The reports have not been independently verified.
Nearly 460 drones reported overnight
The overnight attack affected several Russian regions. Russia’s Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted and destroyed 457 drones over Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. The figure has not been independently verified.
Damage was also reported in the Samara region, where an Ozon warehouse and the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery were damaged. Several people were injured.
Around 140 drones were shot down over the Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slyusar said. Debris from the attack sparked a forest fire in Sholokhovsky district.
The fire covered about one hectare. By 9 a.m., firefighters had contained the blaze, although it had not yet been fully extinguished, according to Slyusar. No casualties were reported in the region.
The overnight attack therefore affected several regions in southern and central Russia. The most serious reported consequences were in Yeysk district, where two children were killed and two adults injured.
Russia carried out strikes on Ukraine the previous day
The attack on Russian regions came after a large-scale Russian missile and drone strike on Ukraine overnight on August 21. Russia used cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles as well as drones. Seventeen people were killed in Kyiv and the surrounding Kyiv region.
On August 21, Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih twice. The second strike occurred while rescue workers were already at the scene. Sixteen people were killed and more than 130 were injured, including children.
The events of August 21–22 mark another episode of reciprocal strikes against rear areas in Russia and Ukraine