Russia claims to have shot down two drones near Moscow and Belgorod
Russia claimed on Saturday to have shot down two Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow and in a border region of Ukraine, where four civilians were injured in a Ukrainian strike. Additionally, a Russian bombardment on a village near Kupiansk resulted in two deaths. Follow the latest developments in the war in Ukraine on this page.
A Russian bombardment on a village near Kupiansk resulted in two deaths, according to Governor Oleg Synegubov of Kharkiv.
“According to preliminary information from the medical team, two people died in the village of Podoly as a result of the bombardment and another was injured,” said Governor Oleg Synegubov on social media, specifying that a café was hit.
10:20 AM: A second Ukrainian drone shot down by Russian air defense
A second Ukrainian drone was shot down on Saturday morning by Russian air defense in the Chebekino district in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Around 06:00 GMT, “an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack with a drone against sites on Russian territory was prevented,” the ministry said on Telegram.
Russia has also accused Ukrainian forces of shelling a village in the Belgorod region with rocket launchers on Saturday, resulting in four civilian injuries, according to local authorities.
5:08 AM: New Zealand grants resident status to Ukrainians fleeing the war
New Zealand announced on Saturday that it will grant permanent resident status to refugees from the war in Ukraine.
Permanent residency in New Zealand will be available to individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine, who have a special temporary visa before March 15 next year, said Immigration Minister Andrew Little.
“Many of those seeking safety here in New Zealand would never have imagined staying long-term, but as the war continues, we have a humanitarian obligation to provide them with certainty,” he added.
“We are streamlining the application process for the residency pathway as much as possible,” he said.
4:12 AM: Russia claims to have shot down a drone approaching Moscow
Russian air defense shot down a drone approaching Moscow during the night, said Mayor Sergei Sobyanin early Saturday.
“Last night, the air defense forces destroyed a drone approaching Moscow through the Istrinskii district,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.
According to preliminary information, “there are no casualties or damage. Emergency services are on site,” he added.
The Russian capital had rarely been targeted since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, but Ukrainian drone attacks have increased in recent months.
Russian investigators announced that they have recovered the bodies of the 10 people who died in the plane crash, which was carrying Evgueni Prigojine, as well as the black boxes. The Kremlin denied ordering the death of the paramilitary group Wagner leader and Vladimir Putin’s presumed enemy, Evgueni Prigojine.
