MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan’s military on Sunday said it shot down a small Indian spy drone that flew hundreds of meters into Pakistani-administered Kashmir, the ninth such downing of an Indian drone this year.
The military statement said the drone was shot down in the Hot Spring border village of Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. There was no immediate comment from India.
Pakistan often claims the downing of unmanned Indian spy drones in Kashmir, where the two sides often trade fire as well.
The latest development comes two weeks after India and China clashed along a different disputed border high in the Himalayas, leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead. Pakistan blames New Delhi for escalating tensions with China, a longtime friend of Islamabad.
Relations between Pakistan and India have been strained over Kashmir since last August, when New Delhi revoked Muslim-majority Kashmir’s decades-old semi-autonomous status, touching off anger in Indian-controlled Kashmir and in Pakistan.
The two countries have been on maximum alert since February 2019, when Pakistan said it shot down two Indian warplanes in Kashmir and captured a pilot, in response to an airstrike by Indian aircraft targeting militants inside Pakistan. India said the strikes targeted Pakistan-based militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian troops in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.
Since gaining independence from British rule in 1947, the the two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars over Kashmir.
Pakistan army says Indian spy drone shot down in Kashmir
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Pakistan army says Indian spy drone shot down in Kashmir
- The latest development comes two weeks after India and China clashed along a different disputed border high in the Himalayas, leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead
- It is the ninth such downing of an Indian drone this year
Kyiv under ‘massive’ missile attack, Russian village evacuated after drone strike
- "A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday
- Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region
KYIV/MOSCOW: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply early Thursday as both sides launched significant aerial assaults, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas.
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, came under a “massive” attack from Russian missiles, officials said, while Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of a village in the Volgograd region following a drone strike on a military facility.
"A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday. He reported hits on both residential and non-residential buildings on both sides of the Dnipro River, which bisects the city.
According to preliminary reports, falling fragments struck near two residential buildings in one district. While no fires broke out and no immediate casualties were reported, emergency medical teams were dispatched to the affected areas.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, confirmed at least one hit in an eastern suburb, as witnesses reported explosions resounding across the city.
The southeastern city of Dnipro was also targeted. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha stated that while some private homes and cars sustained damage, there were no indications of casualties. Air raid alerts remained in effect in both Kyiv and Dnipro well after midnight.
Drone Strike in Russia
Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region.
"Falling debris caused a fire on the grounds of a Ministry of Defense facility near the village of Kotluban," Governor Andrey Bocharov posted on Telegram.
Authorities declared an immediate evacuation of the nearby village "to ensure civilian safety from the threat of detonation during firefighting," Bocharov added.
The exchange of strikes follows a deadly day in eastern Ukraine. On Wednesday, a Russian strike on the city of Bogodukhiv in the Kharkiv region killed four people, including three young children.
Regional military head Oleg Synegubov reported that two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl were killed, along with a 34-year-old man. A 74-year-old woman and a 35-year-old pregnant woman were also wounded in the attack. The Kharkiv region has seen intensified Russian attacks on transport and energy infrastructure in recent weeks.
The ongoing violence stands in stark contrast to diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian and Russian officials have been holding US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the four-year invasion. While the two sides successfully conducted a prisoner swap last week, a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict remains elusive.
The human toll continues to mount. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), approximately 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022. The agency noted that 2025 was the deadliest year of the conflict so far, with more than 2,500 civilians killed.
