VORONEZH, Russia (Reuters) -A drone struck an apartment building in the southern Russian city of Voronezh on Friday in what investigators called a “terrorist act” on behalf of Ukraine, prompting the regional governor to order a state of emergency.
Three people were slightly hurt by broken glass but did not need hospital treatment, regional governor Alexander Gusev said.
Russia’s state Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes, said it had opened a criminal case against “persons acting in the interests of the military-political leadership of Ukraine”.
There was no official reaction from Ukraine, which does not comment on alleged military operations inside Russian territory.
Drone strikes inside Russia have become a frequent occurrence, but they more typically happen in areas closer to Ukraine. Voronezh has a population of more than a million people and lies about 180 km (110 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
“There was a violent explosion. I screamed. And (the plumber) who was fixing my drain, he saw it; he shouted that it was a drone,” a witness said.
Investigators said there was structural damage to the apartment block, whose facade was partly smashed in and scorched.
Russia accused Ukraine last month of launching two drones at the Kremlin in what it said was an attempt to kill President Vladimir Putin. Kyiv denied involvement in that incident.
On May 30, Russia said it had shot down or diverted eight Ukrainian drones in an attack on several districts of Moscow. A Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved but said it was “pleased to watch events” and forecast more such strikes.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan and Felix Light; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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