Ukraine carried out its biggest drone attack on Moscow which left at least one woman dead, media reports said.
The attack left multiple homes destroyed and even forced over 50 flights to be diverted from the airports located around the Russian capital.
Russia, the world’s biggest nuclear power, said it destroyed at least 20 Ukrainian attack drones as they swarmed over the Moscow region, which has a population of more than 21 million, and 124 more over eight other regions, reported CNN.
Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov told Sputnik news agency that a 46-year-old woman was killed in the attack in Ramenskoye town.
“According to updated information, three people were injured in the house on Sportivny Proyezd. All of them were hospitalized in Ramenskoye Hospital. A 46-year-old woman died (earlier it was reported that a 9-year-old child died, this information was not confirmed),” Vorobyov said on Telegram as quoted by the news agency.
Meanwhile, a senior official with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Friday that continued Russian attacks across Ukraine this recently made for a tragic start to the new school year.
John Marks, interim UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, issued a renewed appeal for schools to be protected as war rages on.
“During the first week of the new academic year, educational facilities in areas including Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, Lviv and Sumy were reportedly damaged in attacks,” he said.
“Evacuations across areas closer to the frontline are also ongoing with education once again disrupted as children flee their homes.”
Marks’ statement centred around the deaths of three sisters.
Seven-year-old Emilia, along with Dariia, 18, and Yaryna, 21, were killed with their mother in an attack in the western city of Lviv on 4 September. Their father was injured.
The family were among the many reported casualties, which included other children.
Marks said the three sisters were all just starting out in life.
Although Emilia was present for the first days of school “tragically she didn’t make it back for the third day,” he said.
Oldest sister Yaryna had found a job with the organization Lviv – European Youth Capital 2025, after finishing school. The organization is a UNICEF partner and works to empower young people through life skills training.
“This tragic story reflects the reality for children and young people across Ukraine today as attacks continue to hit populated areas,” he said.
Civilian deaths increase
Russian missile and bomb attacks since 26 August have caused extensive harm across the country, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Friday.
Investigators verified that attacks in Government-controlled areas killed 64 civilians, and injured 392, in addition to causing significant damage and destruction to civilian property and critical infrastructure.
The figures include children, six of whom were killed and 43 injured.
The high casualty numbers follow a recent sharp increase in civilian deaths and injuries. In August alone, 184 people were killed, and 856 injured – the second highest monthly casualties this year, after July.
