Written by Lisa Murimi
Authorities in Russia’s Tver region have ordered a partial evacuation following a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack that sparked a fire in the town of Toropets.Â
According to local governor Igor Rudenya, emergency services are working to contain the blaze caused by falling drone wreckage.
No casualties have been reported, but efforts to assess the situation are ongoing.
Unverified footage circulating online shows a large explosion in the town, with some reports suggesting that a weapons depot may have been hit overnight.
Toropets, home to around 13,000 residents, is located approximately 380 km northwest of Moscow and 470 km north of the Ukrainian border.
Authorities have prepared buses for evacuation and stated that the situation is “under control,” though the exact number of evacuees has not been disclosed.
Schools and kindergartens in the region have been closed as a precaution.
This attack is part of a broader series of overnight strikes in Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, and Smolensk regions, where nearly 50 drones and two missiles were reportedly shot down.
Ukraine has not commented on the attacks, and the claims from both Russian and Ukrainian officials remain unverified.
The conflict continues following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
