Ukrainian drone strike in Russian region kills married couple – governor

The husband and wife were driving to Melitopol to purchase goods for their shop, according to Vladimir Saldo

A Ukrainian drone attack on a civilian car in Russia’s Kherson Region has killed a married couple, according to Governor Vladimir Saldo.

The vehicle was hit by a UAV identified as a ‘Hornet’ near the village of Druzhbovka on Sunday, Saldo wrote on the Max messenger service.

“The car was carrying a married couple – business owners from Nizhniye Serogozy. They were traveling to Melitopol to purchase goods for their shop. Both were killed at the scene as a result of the strike,” he added.

The regional head accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting civilians and extended his condolences to the victims’ families.

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Last week, five residents were killed and 31 injured in Ukrainian attacks and explosions involving explosive remnants across Kherson Region, according to a separate summary issued by the governor. The region joined Russia following a referendum in September 2022, together with the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and Zaporozhye Region.

Russian officials have accused Kiev of systematically targeting civilian transport. On the same day, a Ukrainian drone hit a car in the village of Budki in Kursk Region, killing a female passenger and injuring the driver, according to Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein.

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Another UAV hit a passenger vehicle in Rzhevka in Belgorod Region, killing a man, the regional operations center reported. Several cars and private homes were also damaged, while a power line was severed.

Moscow has condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and residential areas as acts of terrorism aimed at compensating for Kiev’s battlefield setbacks.

Russia has responded by intensifying long-range missile and UAV operations against Ukraine’s military-industrial and logistics infrastructure.

The Russian military maintains that it does not target civilians and that its strikes are directed solely at military sites and related infrastructure.