Russian-Ukrainian War Live: Explosion reported near Russian military headquarters in Rostov after drone alert | Ukraine

Explosions were reported in the Russian city of Rostov, near the headquarters of the Southern Military District Command, which plays a key role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was one of the sites seized by the deceased Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigojine, during his abortive mutiny in June. .

Regional Governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram that at least three buildings and several cars were damaged and one person was injured after Russian air defenses shot down two Ukrainian drones targeting the town, just 100 km away. east of the border with Ukraine.

Golubev said the remains of one drone fell outside the city, while the other fell “in the center, in the area of ​​42 Pushkinskaya Street”.

Rostov is the largest city in southern Russia and the capital of the Rostov region which borders parts of war-torn eastern Ukraine.

It is home to the command of Russia’s Southern Military District, whose 58th Combined Arms Army is fighting against Kiev’s counteroffensive in southern Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War think tank ( ISW).

Rostov is also home to the command center of the Joint Group of Russian Forces in Ukraine as a whole and is therefore an essential logistical hub for the Russian military.

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine with me, Helen Livingstone.

Explosions were reported in the center of the Russian city of Rostov, near the headquarters of the Southern Military District Command, key to the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine.

Regional Governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram that at least three buildings and several cars were damaged and one person injured after Russian air defenses shot down two Ukrainian drones targeting the town, just 100 km away. east of the border with Ukraine.

Golubev said the remains of one drone fell outside the city, while the other fell “in the center, in the area of ​​42 Pushkinskaya Street”.

Rostov made headlines in June when late Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin seized military sites in the city during his abortive mutiny, including military headquarters.

Another drone was shot down over the Moscow region, Ria news agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry.

Other key developments in Ukraine:

• At least 17 people have been killed, including a child, and 32 others injured after a Russian rocket hit a busy open-air market in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka., according to Ukrainian officials. Videos from the aftermath of the attack, one of the deadliest strikes in Russia in months, showed fires raging through destroyed buildings and soldiers carrying away body bags.

• The Russian attack took place while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kyiv for an unannounced two-day visit., his first for a year in the Ukrainian capital. Blinken met his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, had discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and called the progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive “very, very encouraging”.

• The top US diplomat announced new aid to Ukraine totaling more than $1 billion during his visit, including Himars missile launch systems, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Abrams tanks and other weapons systems. weapons.. The Pentagon said it would also send depleted uranium shells for Abrams tanks, a controversial form of ammunition.

• Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has called for an urgent investigation into the apparent drone debris found on his soil after Russian attacks on neighboring regions of Ukraine. NATO member Romania previously repeatedly dismissed Kiev’s claims that Iranian-made Russian drones fell and exploded on Romanian territory in a strike on the Ukrainian port of Izmail on Sunday night. .

• A designated Russian occupation official admitted that Moscow forces had abandoned the Ukrainian village of Robotyne., more than a week after kyiv announced its reconquest. “The Russian military has – tactically – abandoned this settlement because standing on a bare surface when there is no way to completely bury yourself there… usually doesn’t make sense. So the Russian army moved to the hills,” said Eugene Balitsky, the top official installed by Moscow in the Zaporizhzhia region.

• The situation along the eastern front line remains difficult, and the main task of Ukrainian troops is to provide reliable defense and prevent the loss of bastions, the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces said. “The enemy is not abandoning its plans to reach the border regions,” said Alexander Syrsky.

• The Ukrainian parliament has voted in favor of the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the new Minister of Defense, said one lawmaker. Umerov is a prominent member of the Crimean Tatar community who has represented his country in sensitive negotiations with Russia. He replaces Oleksii Reznikov, who resigned at the instigation of Zelenskiy after 22 months in the post.

• Nuclear threats from Vladimir Putin’s ‘gangsters’ require NATO to adopt a much more aggressive response, including flying more nuclear-armed planes, the Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces said. General Rajmund Andrzejczak also said he did not believe North Korea would prepare to sell arms to Russia without China’s consent.