On the 973rd day of the war, Ukrainian drones caused an explosion at the bio-chemical plant Biokhim in the Russian region of Tambov, 450 km from Moscow. According to the regional governor, the attack caused a fire that was quickly controlled and did not result in casualties. Additionally, in the Tula region, which borders the Russian capital, two distilleries were damaged by Kiev's forces bombings.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported that their defenses destroyed a total of 18 Ukrainian drones, while in the border region of Bryansk, attacks affected a non-residential building.
Meanwhile, Ukraine denounced that a Russian nighttime drone attack killed three civilians, including a child, in an attack on residential buildings in the Sumy region.
On another note, a representative from North Korea at the UN denied that their country had sent soldiers to Russia to support the war against Ukraine, dismissing South Korea's allegations as "baseless rumors."
North Korean Representative at the UN Denies Sending Troops to Russia
A North Korean representative at the UN denied on Monday that their country had sent soldiers to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine, calling South Korea's allegations "baseless rumors." "Regarding the alleged military cooperation with Russia, my delegation sees no need to comment on such baseless and stereotypical rumors," stated the representative during a committee meeting at the UN General Assembly, as reported by AFP.
South Korea's intelligence agency claimed on Friday that Pyongyang had sent troops on a "large scale" to support its ally Moscow, with 1,500 members of their special forces already training in the Russian Far East and ready to fight in Ukraine.
The Seoul's accusation "aims to tarnish the image of the DPRK (North Korea) and undermine the legitimate, friendly, and cooperative relations between two sovereign states," added the North Korean representative in New York.
Russian Attack Kills a Child and Two Adults in Sumy
A Russian nighttime drone attack killed three civilians, including a child, in a residential area of the eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy, as declared by the regional governor on Tuesday. "Three people, including a child, died as a result of a nighttime attack by enemy drones on residential buildings," wrote Ihor Kalchenko on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian Drones Cause Fire at a Chemical Plant in Tambov
An explosion rocked the bio-chemical plant Biokhim in the Russian region of Tambov, causing a brief fire, as reported by the regional governor, Maxim Yegorov, on the Telegram messaging app, ruling out any casualties. Biokhim is one of the oldest Russian manufacturers of "strategically important products for the State," mainly ethanol, according to the company's website.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that their anti-aircraft defense units destroyed a total of 18 Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine Attacks Two Distilleries in Tula
The governor of Tula, Dmitry Miliayev, reported that a Ukrainian drone attack damaged two distilleries in the region, south of Moscow. "Emergency services specialists are working at the scene. The situation is under control," he said, as reported by Reuters. "The extent of the attack that damaged the distilleries in the city of Yefremov and the village of Luzhkovskyi was not immediately clear."
Additionally, another Ukrainian drone attack damaged a boiler and a non-residential building in the Russian region of Bryansk, bordering Ukraine, as reported by the governor, who confirmed no casualties.
UK Provides Over ¤2.7 Billion to Ukraine for Military Equipment
The UK will grant Ukraine a loan of £2.26 billion (¤2.712 billion) for the purchase of military equipment to defend against the Russian invasion, announced the Minister of Economy, Rachel Reeves, on Tuesday, as reported by Efe.
This contribution represents the British contribution to the Group of Seven's (G7, wealthiest countries) Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans program to Ukraine, enabling the country to meet its military and reconstruction needs.
The loan will be repaid through the extraordinary profits from immobilized Russian sovereign assets, according to the Government. Reeves will make the announcement alongside the British Defense Minister, John Healey, during a visit to Ukrainian military personnel receiving training in the UK.