Explosions heard in Smolensk amid drone attack: Details
Explosions were heard in Smolensk due to a drone attack (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
In Smolensk, Russia, explosions were heard during the night of January 21. Drones were detected in the area, and air defense forces were active, according to Smolensk Region Governor Vasily Anokhin and Russian Telegram channels.
The authorities of this Russian region had warned of a potential drone attack the evening before.
Later, local Smolensk social media began reporting explosions heard in the city, with at least seven explosions being mentioned.
According to Telegram channels Mash, Shot, and Baza, air defense systems were active in Smolensk, and one of the drones allegedly crashed into the roof of a residential building on Avtozavodskaya Street in the Zadneprovsky district.
Russian media claim that the drones involved in the aerial attack on Smolensk were Ukrainian.
Additionally, some Russian social media users speculate that the target of the drones was likely the Smolensk Yartsevo Oil Refinery.
At the same time, monitoring groups are reporting that the preliminary target of the attack was the Smolensk Aviation Plant.
According to preliminary information, there are no reported casualties in the city. It is also reported that the shockwave from the explosion shattered windows on the top floor of a building where the drone fell.
Additionally, Russian media mention that several fires broke out in Smolensk amid the drone attack.
The governor of the Smolensk region stated that the Ukrainian drone attack is ongoing in the region.
"Anti-aircraft defense is active in the regional center. Stay calm and avoid open spaces," he wrote in his Telegram post.
Updated: Water and electricity problems in Smolensk
Later, the Mash Telegram channel reported that several buildings in Smolensk were experiencing power outages amid the massive drone attack.
The channel also mentioned that emergency vehicles, including ambulances and firefighters, arrived at a high-rise building where one of the drones had crashed on the roof.
Updated: Fire at the Smolensk Aviation Plant
Later, footage surfaced showing a fire that broke out at one of the workshops at the Smolensk Aviation Plant.
As previously reported, on the evening of January 20, residents of the Russian city of Liski in the Voronezh region again reported drone attacks and explosions. A fire broke out at an oil depot in the area.
The Liski oil depot in the Voronezh region continued burning for several days after the drone strike on January 16.
