Russia and Ukraine Continue Drone Attacks Even After Trump's Inauguration

Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone attacks without regard to the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had predicted an early end to the conflict.

Russian media outlet Lenta reported on the 21st (local time) that the Ukrainian military launched drone attacks on six Russian regions last night, stating, "The attacks began two hours after President Trump was inaugurated in Washington, D.C." The Russian Ministry of Defense also confirmed the drone attacks, saying it shot down 55 Ukrainian drones over six Russian regions.

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The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that 22 drones were destroyed in the border Bryansk region, and drones were also shot down in Rostov, Smolensk, Voronezh, Saratov, and Kursk regions. No reports of casualties or material damage have been confirmed, but airport operations in Kazan and Ulyanovsk were temporarily suspended.

The Russian daily Kommersant reported that an evacuation order was issued in the village of Komarovsky in the Orenburg region due to drone attack threats. Regional authorities urged via Telegram message, "Move to the nearest shelter and maintain calm and order." The village is known to host a base of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces.

The Ukrainian military also claimed to have repelled Russia's drone attacks. The Ukrainian Air Force explained that Russia attacked with 131 drones and 4 missiles, but 72 of the drones were shot down and 59 failed to reach their targets and disappeared. The attack caused damage to some buildings in two Ukrainian regions, but there were no casualties, they added.

President Trump, inaugurated on the 20th U.S. time, stated during a Q&A session with reporters in the White House Oval Office that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would strive to end the situation in Ukraine as soon as possible. President Trump had predicted during the last election campaign that he would bring an early end to the Ukraine war immediately after taking office.

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.