MOSCOW: Debris from a Ukrainian drone hit an apartment block northwest of Moscow, injuring seven people as it set off a fire, Russian authorities said Friday.
The night-time attack at Tver, some 180 kilometers from the Russian capital, came amid a heightened drone campaign by Ukraine as peace efforts drag on.
The regional interim governor Vitaly Korolyov said on Telegram that six adults and a child were injured and about 20 people had to be evacuated from the apartment block in the city of more than 400,000 people.
“At Tver, we are battling the consequences of the fall of debris from a drone on a residential building,” he said.
The Tass state news agency said the drone debris set off a fire in one apartment and the windows of several others were smashed.
Ukraine, which has been fighting off near daily shelling since the start of Russia’s assault in February 2022, has launched drone strikes that it says targets Russian military and energy infrastructure.
Russia said Thursday that it shot down more than 300 Ukrainian drones, in one of the biggest Ukrainian mass raids of the conflict. Hundreds of flights in and out of Moscow airports were canceled.
Russia says seven injured as Ukrainian drone hits apartment block
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Russia says seven injured as Ukrainian drone hits apartment block
- Night-time attack at Tver came amid a heightened drone campaign by Ukraine as peace efforts drag on
Kremlin says Putin is mediating in Iran to normalize situation
- Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin is mediating in the Iran situation to quickly de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said on Friday, after the Russian leader spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Moscow has condemned US threats of new military strikes after Iran acted against protests that broke out late last month.
Putin in his call with Netanyahu expressed Russia’s willingness to “continue its mediation efforts and to promote constructive dialogue with the participation of all interested states,” the Kremlin said, adding he had set out his ideas for boosting stability in the Middle East.
No further details were given on Putin’s mediation attempt.
Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran.
“It was noted that Russia and Iran unanimously and consistently support de-escalating
the tensions — both surrounding Iran and in the region as a whole — as soon as possible
and resolving any emerging issues through exclusively political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said.
Putin and Pezeshkian had confirmed their commitment to their countries’ strategic partnership and to implementing joint economic projects, the Kremlin added.
Separately, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China, India, and Iran, among others, said it opposed external interference in Iran and blamed Western sanctions for creating conditions for unrest.
“Unilateral sanctions have had a significant negative impact on the economic stability of the state, led to a deterioration in people’s living conditions, and objectively limited the ability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement measures to ensure the country’s socio-economic development,” the SCO said in a statement.
Protests erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring inflation in Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions.
Asked what support Russia could provide to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is already providing assistance not only to Iran but also to the entire region, and to the cause of regional stability and peace. This is partly thanks to the president’s efforts to help de-escalate tensions.”
The US Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security.
