The war escalates. Residents evacuated in Kazan, Russia, as a result of Ukrainian strikes

On Saturday, Ukrainian marches damaged buildings and caused the evacuation of residents in the city of Kazan, located in central Russia, about a thousand kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
This happened without any casualties, according to local officials, while the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, where this city is located, Rustam Minnikhanov, said: “Kazan was subjected to a massive drone attack today.”

Ukrainian attacks in central Russia

He added, “After industrial facilities were previously attacked, the enemy is now attacking civilians in the morning, directly in their homes.”
Local authorities also spoke about the evacuation of residents, without specifying their number, while the Kazan City Council indicated that these attacks caused “fires to break out” in several neighborhoods, and that fire brigades rushed to the site.
The drones targeted many high-rise buildings, causing huge fireballs. The media office of the President of this Republic said that it had monitored eight marches, indicating that no casualties had been reported so far.

Targeting civilian facilities in Russia

The Russian Ministry of Defense accused Ukraine of targeting “civilian facilities” in Kazan, located on the banks of the Volga River, about 700 kilometers east of Moscow.
The Ministry confirmed the neutralization or destruction of six drones, without specifying their total number, or whether the drones had hit their targets. The Russian Aviation Agency announced a temporary halt to air traffic on Saturday morning at Kazan Airport.
All major public celebrations during the weekend were also canceled as a security measure in this period, which precedes the end-of-year holiday, according to what the Republic of Tatarstan reported.

Advance to the Russian army

This attack came as the Russian army was making progress in Ukraine at an unprecedented pace since the first months of the start of the war in 2022.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Saturday that its forces took control of the village of Kostantinopolsky, located eight kilometers from the city of Korakhovye, which appears to be on the verge of falling into the hands of the Russian army.
The Russian army took control of the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine in February and the city of Voglidar in October, and is now approaching several cities of military importance, such as Pokrovsk and Kubyansk.