Russia declared a state of emergency in a city yesterday after a wave of Ukrainian kamikaze drones targeted a key air base.
At least 16 explosions were heard and blocks of flats were hit in Voronezh, the capital of a region bordering Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk.
The nearby Baltimore air base is home to Su-34s bomber planes deployed by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine.
Russia did not immediately report any damage at the base, but said nearby flats were hit and residents evacuated.
Officials later said 35 homes in three 10-storey buildings were damaged by falling debris from shot-down drones.
The overnight strikes by Ukraine took place at 2am and 5am.
Voronezh’s mayor Vadim Kstenin said: “People were evacuated. A nearby school was opened for them so that they could warm up.
Blaze “We will repair the damage and give people the opportunity to return home as soon as possible.”
Video footage from the scene showed a blaze on the upper floor of a block of flats near the air base.
A frightened woman’s voice said: “Mother of God! We’ve got to get the hell out of it.”
Windows in the blocks were smashed and a 10-year-old girl was cut on her neck, arm and leg. Russia’s defence ministry said the country’s military shot down five aircraft-type drones and intercepted another three.
Another four were reportedly intercepted over the Belgorod border region.
Voronezh, which has a population of more than a million, lies 155 miles from Russia’s border with Ukraine.
