Drone strikes trigger fires, power cuts, and flight restrictions across Russian regions

A wave of overnight drone attacks targeted several regions of Russia, injuring five people near Moscow, cutting power to thousands in the Rostov region, and prompting temporary flight restrictions at multiple airports, according to regional authorities and the Russian Defence Ministry.

In the Moscow region town of Krasnogorsk, a drone struck a residential high-rise, causing an explosion, Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed. The unmanned aerial vehicle reportedly flew into an apartment on the 14th floor, injuring five people, including a child.

Four of the victims were hospitalised. Three adults were taken to Krasnogorsk City Hospital No. 1, while the child was transferred to the Roshal Centre. “The adults suffered head injuries, fractures, and shrapnel wounds, while the child sustained a dislocated knee and minor leg injuries,” Vorobyov said. Emergency services remain on site, and the head of the city district is coordinating response efforts.

Further south, in the Rostov region, around 1,500 residents were left without electricity after a nighttime drone raid caused a fire, regional governor Yuri Slyusar reported on Telegram. Power outages affected apartment buildings, a kindergarten, and a technical college in Novoshakhtinsk.

According to Slyusar, emergency crews managed to reconnect some consumers to backup lines overnight, restoring electricity to parts of the city. “Specialists will continue work during daylight hours to fully restore power to the remaining 1,500 residents,” he said.

The governor added that air defence forces in the region repelled additional drone attacks in several districts, including Taganrog, Krasnosulinsky, Myasnikovsky, Kamensky, Zimovnikovsky, Tarasovsky, Millerovsky, Kuibyshevsky, and Sholokhovsky. Several fires broke out as a result of the raids, but they were quickly extinguished by emergency services. No casualties were reported in these areas.

Russia’s Defence Ministry later said that a total of 111 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across several Russian regions.

In response to the heightened drone threat, airports in Volgograd, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, and Kaluga introduced temporary restrictions on takeoffs and landings, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced. The restrictions were implemented as a precaution against possible further drone attacks.

As of the morning of October 24, none of the regional governors in the affected areas had reported direct strikes on airports.

By Tamilla Hasanova