Russian village evacuated after Ukrainian drone strike hits Defense Ministry facility

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - A village in Russia's Volgograd region was evacuated on Thursday amid fears of an explosion at a Ministry of Defense facility hit by a Ukrainian strike.

Residents of the Kotluban settlement are being moved to a safe location due to the threat of detonation following a Ukrainian missile attack, Governor Andrey Bocharov said on Telegram.

"In order to ensure the safety of the civilian population from the threat of detonation during firefighting operations, the evacuation of the population from the nearby settlement of Kotluban has been announced and is underway," he said.

Authorities have prepared buses to transport residents to temporary accommodation centers set up at the Gorodishche District House of Culture and the Gorodishche Children's and Youth Sports School, Bocharov added.

In a separate statement, Tambov region Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said two people were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack.

According to him, several buildings were damaged by falling drones, and a Magnit supermarket caught fire.

Ukrainian media claimed the missile attack in Tambov targeted a defense plant, while the strike on Kotluban hit a facility of Russia's Main Missile and Artillery Directorate.

"On the night of Feb. 12, attack drones attacked the Russian Defense plant Progress in the Tambov region of the Russian Federation," Ukraine's state news agency Ukrinform said, citing the ASTRA Telegram channel, which is allegedly linked to Ukraine's military.

"In addition, on the night of Feb. 12, a military facility was hit by a missile in the village of Kotluban, Volgograd region of the Russian Federation. Local residents reported a series of powerful explosions near the arsenal of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation," it added.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff said air defense systems shot down 16 missiles and 197 drones overnight.

An energy facility in the Odesa region and several sites in the capital, Kyiv, were hit in the attack, it said.

Independent verification of claims of both sides is challenging due to the ongoing conflict.