MOSCOW: Russia downed 31 Ukraine-launched drones overnight over the regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk bordering Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
There was no information about the potential casualties or damage.
Simultaneously, in a separate incident, Ukrainian forces reportedly utilized cluster munitions, firing them at several villages in Russia’s southern Bryansk region. Alexander Bogomaz, the governor, conveyed this information on the Telegram messaging app, mentioning that there were no reported casualties but several homes suffered damage. Reuters was unable to independently verify these reports, and there was no immediate response from the government in Kyiv.
Ukraine has received cluster munitions from the United States and has committed to employing them solely against concentrations of enemy soldiers. Russian officials in various border regions, including Bryansk, have consistently accused Ukraine’s armed forces of engaging in indiscriminate shelling.
Cluster munitions, prohibited by over 100 countries, have the characteristic of releasing numerous smaller bomblets, posing a threat of indiscriminate harm over a wide area. Unexploded bomblets can remain hazardous for decades.
