A state of emergency has been declared in the Russian port city of Novorossiisk after a Ukrainian drone attack damaged a grain terminal and several residential buildings, injuring at least five people. The incident occurred on Saturday, prompting the city’s mayor, Andrei Kravchenko, to assess the damage in a video posted on his official Telegram account.
The video footage revealed the extent of the destruction, with debris scattered in front of apartment buildings, a crushed car, and blown-out windows and balconies hanging off the buildings’ facade. According to Kravchenko, one of the injured individuals, a woman, is in serious condition in the hospital, along with two injured children. The regional governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, confirmed that debris from the falling drones also damaged three storage units at the grain terminal, sparking a fire. Fortunately, no one was injured in the terminal incident.
The owner of the damaged grain terminal, Delo Group, has announced that a cleanup is underway and that the fire has been extinguished. In a statement, the company assured that its terminals are operating normally, following internal instructions and relevant authorities’ guidelines. Despite the attack, Delo Group stated, “DeloPorts terminals is operating normally in accordance with internal instructions and the instructions of relevant authorities and agencies.”
The incident is the latest development in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia had launched a barrage of 183 drones and two ballistic missiles overnight, but there has been no immediate comment from Ukraine regarding the Novorossiisk attack. As the situation continues to unfold, the international community remains vigilant, monitoring the escalating tensions between the two nations. The declaration of a state of emergency in Novorossiisk serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict and the need for a peaceful resolution.
