Ukrainian and Russian forces attacked the opposing side's energy infrastructure and armament-production sites overnight into April 20, officials said, as the warring forces intensified drone and missile strikes ahead of an expected vote in the U.S. Congress on desperately needed military aid to Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry in Kyiv said Ukraine hit eight Russian regions with long-range drones, striking and setting on fire a fuel depot and blasting three power substations, confirming an earlier report by Reuters that cited intelligence sources.
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"At least three electrical substations and a fuel storage base were hit, where fires ignited," the Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters, citing videos on social media purportedly showing the blazes.
The local governor in Russia's western Smolensk region said a reservoir with fuel and oil lubricants had been hit by indirect fire.
"As a result of the work of [Russia’s] air-defense forces, the aircraft were shot down. However, as a result of falling debris, a tank with fuel and oil lubricants caught fire," he said.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air-defense systems shot down 50 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions, including 26 over Belgorod near the border and 10 more over the Bryansk region.
Two people were killed in a fire ignited by falling debris in a Belgorod village, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said Russian forces launched seven missiles from Belgorod region and the Black Sea at targets in Ukraine on April 20.
Two Kinzhal guided air missiles were destroyed by Ukraine's air-defense systems, Ukraine’s air force said, adding it had also shot down three Russian reconnaissance drones.
Battlefield claims on either side could not immediately be verified.
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Russia in recent weeks has drastically increased the number of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure amid dwindling Ukrainian stocks of air-defense systems and ammunition, causing large numbers of civilian casualties and extensive damage.
Ukraine said Russian forces struck a residential buildings in the northeastern city of Vovchansk, killing at least two people.
"A direct hit was recorded on a nine-story residential building," a regional official said.
“A woman and a man were injured. Both victims are 61 years old. At other addresses, two men aged 50 and 84 died as a result of shelling in the city."
Regional Governor Oleh Sinegubov posted a photo on Telegram showing a pile of rubble next to the collapsed section of what he said was a residential block.