KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russian forces attacked a cafe in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of two civilians and the injury of another, according to regional officials.
The incident occurred near the city of Kupiansk, as U.K. officials expressed concerns that Russia may attempt to reclaim the area. The city was captured by Kyiv in a swift counteroffensive last September, following over six months of Russian occupation. The recent outbreak of intense fighting in the region has led to mandatory evacuations and heightened fears of a second Russian takeover.
The governor of the region, Oleh Syniehubov, stated in a Telegram post that Russian shells hit a cafe in the eastern suburb of Kupiansk called Podoly. Rescue teams are currently working at the scene.
U.K. military intelligence has assessed that Russia might escalate its offensive efforts in the vicinity of Kupiansk and the nearby town of Lyman. This is seen as an attempt to relieve pressure on Russian forces near Bakhmut and in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Ukrainian counteroffensives have reportedly made progress. Ukrainian authorities have previously ordered the evacuation of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages around Kupiansk due to a concentrated offensive by Russian troops.
Last year, following the departure of the Russian occupiers in Kupiansk, Ukrainian authorities reported the discovery of torture chambers and mass graves in the region.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a drone attack on Moscow led to a temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city. Russian state media attributed the attack to Ukraine, which has been carrying out regular strikes on the Russian capital and its surrounding region.
Since the beginning of this year, Kyiv has been attempting to bring the 18-month war into Russia’s heartland. It has recently claimed responsibility for strikes on Russian military assets beyond the front lines.
The Russian defense ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced that a drone was shot down over the Istra district of the Moscow region, approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Red Square. Sobyanin stated in a Telegram post that no casualties or damage have been reported thus far.
According to Russia’s state Tass agency, flights at Sheremetevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo airports were suspended for over an hour on Saturday.
Russian Telegram channels posted videos on Saturday, some of which were apparently taken from home security cameras, showing what they claimed was the Russian air defense shooting down the drone. One video depicts a car parked outside a suburban home, with its alarm going off seconds after two loud blasts are heard in the distance.
The Russian defense ministry blamed Ukraine for the attack on the same day. As of Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities had not commented on whether Kyiv was involved.
This week, Russia and Ukraine exchanged multiple drone attacks. Kyiv allegedly targeted Moscow, while Russian forces launched another bombardment on Ukrainian grain storage depots, which has become a recurring tactic.
In addition, Kyiv claimed to have destroyed a key Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system in occupied Crimea this week. Ukrainian media also reported that Ukrainian saboteurs, coordinated by Kyiv’s military intelligence services, launched recent drone attacks that destroyed and damaged bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine:
