Russia order evacuation in Tver region after Ukrainian drone attack

A “massive” Ukrainian drone strike in Russia Tver region has triggered a partial evacuation after wreckage from the attack sparked a fire, local authorities announced.

Igor Rudenya, the governor of Tver, confirmed that emergency services were working to contain the blaze in the town of Toropets, which lies 380km (236 miles) northwest of Moscow. While there were no immediate reports of casualties, the situation has prompted heightened concern.

“Emergency services are trying to localize the fire,” Rudenya stated, though details on the cause and scope of the damage remain limited.

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Unverified footage circulating online suggests a large explosion occurred overnight, with reports indicating that a weapons depot may have been hit. Local officials have yet to confirm these claims. Meanwhile, buses have been prepared for evacuation, though authorities have not disclosed the number of people affected. Schools and kindergartens in the area have been closed as a precaution.

Toropets, a town of approximately 13,000 residents, has reportedly seen local authorities take swift control of the situation. “The situation is under control,” officials reassured residents, although the scale of the evacuation remains unclear.

The drone attack on Tver was part of a broader wave of overnight strikes across Russia, with nearly 50 drones and two missiles reportedly intercepted in the Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, and Smolensk regions. Ukrainian forces have not commented on the drone strikes.

Simultaneously, Ukraine’s air defenses were active near Kyiv, with Ukrainian military officials reporting incoming Russian drones overnight. Blasts were also reported in the northeastern city of Sumy, close to the Russian border, though the extent of the damage remains unconfirmed.

These latest developments come as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, continues to see escalations on both sides. However, as with many of the recent drone attacks, claims from both Russian and Ukrainian authorities remain difficult to verify independently.