Ukraine’s Drones Wreak Havoc in Russia’s BRICS Summit Host City

What’s New

Officials in Russia say drones launched by Kyiv have hit Kazan, a city more than 600 miles from Ukraine which hosted an international economic summit two months earlier.

Video on social media shared Saturday showed the drones striking apartment blocks in the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan where a meeting of the Moscow-led BRICS bloc took place in October.

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment.

Why it matters

Tatarstan is a multiethnic Russian republic which is home to a significant Muslim minority. Between October 22 and October 24, its capital, Kazan hosted the summit of BRICS countries which include Brazil, India, China and South Africa, and is considered by Russia to be the Global South’s alternative to the G7.

Saturday morning’s drone attack took place in a city far from the front line of the war in Ukraine, potentially showing capabilities to strike deep inside Russia.

There has been a spike in drone attacks deep inside Russian territory which Moscow blames on Ukraine which Kyiv often does not claim responsibility for. These strikes target energy infrastructure like oil processing facilities to hamper Russia’s war efforts.

But the devices have also hit buildings in strikes which Russian authorities have dubbed acts of “terrorism” which are considered a response to the barrage of missiles and drones which Moscow regularly launches against Ukrainian infrastructure.

On Friday night, Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces attacked buildings in Zaporizhzhia in the south as well as Kharkiv in the north on Friday night.

What we know

Authorities in Tatarstan said that at least eight drones were involved in the attack on Kazan between 7.40am and 9.20 a.m. Saturday, with six hitting residential blocks, one an industrial enterprise and one shot down.

Russia’s defense ministry did not mention the strikes in its statement which said “three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of Ukraine’s Armed Forces were destroyed by air defense systems on duty, three more UAVs were suppressed by electronic warfare systems.”

But Kazan mayor’s office said drones hit residential buildings in the city’s Sovetsky, Kirovsky and Privolzhsky districts. A clip posted on the Sirena Telegram channel showed two drones crashing into a 37-storey residential building and other video showed two drones hitting a 23-storey complex.

Telegram channel VCHK-OGPU which claims to have links to Russia’s security services posted a clip of a residential building on fire.

Local authorities have said that there were no casualties although the Shot telegram channel reported that three people were injured, mostly with cuts from broken windows. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a terrorist attack investigation.

Buildings and a nearby school were evacuated. Video showed crowds of people taking shelter in the underground metro system.

What they are saying

Russia’s defense ministry said on Telegram three Ukrainian drones (UAVs) were “destroyed by air defense systems on duty, three more UAVs were suppressed by electronic warfare systems.”

Pro-Ukrainian Jay in Kyiv, said on X, formerly Twitter: “Something very important must have been on the 15th floor of this building 1,000 km from Ukrainian border. Two precise drone strikes, same spot. Kazan, Russia.”

Pro-Ukrainian X account Jürgen Nauditt posted: “More Ukrainian kamikaze UAVs hit the roof of the 21-story Manhattan residential complex in Kazan, russia. Ukrainian UAVs traveled over 1,000 kilometers.”

What happens next

The drone attack prompted Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency to suspend flights into Kazan and the nearby city of Saratov and all public events for the weekend have been canceled, independent outlet Meduza reported.

As of Saturday morning, Ukraine had not claimed responsibility either directly or indirectly but such drone strikes deep inside Russian territory are likely to continue.

Meanwhile, Russia has launched dozens of missiles and drones against Ukraine on Saturday, with at least one person killed in Kyiv.

Moscow has also said it would respond to a Ukrainian missile attack on Friday that it said killed at least five people in Rylsk, a town in Russia’s border region of Kursk.