Russia’s Saratov airport lifts flight restrictions after drone attack by Ukraine

RUSSIA: Russia‘S Saratov The regional airport lifted flight restrictions on Monday that had been imposed after Houses were damaged by UkraineA woman was injured in the drone attack, Russian officials and news agencies said.
The lifting of restrictions at Saratov regional airport at around 9:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT) was reported by Russian news agency RIA, which had previously reported on the crackdown, citing the airport’s press office. A residential complex in the city was damaged by falling debris from drones destroyed by Russian air defense systems, regional governor Roman Basurgin said on the messaging app Telegram.
“A woman was hospitalized in serious condition,” Basurgin said. “Doctors are fighting for her life.” The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense systems destroyed nine drones over the Saratov region, which is about 900 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Earlier, Basurgin said rescue workers had been deployed to the affected areas in Saratov and Engels, key cities in the region several hundred kilometers southeast of the capital. Russia has a strategic bomber base in Engels, which Ukraine has attacked several times since Moscow’s large-scale invasion in February 2022.
There was no immediate information about Damage at the base or the scale of the Ukrainian attack on the region, which is several hundred kilometers from the border with Ukraine. A video posted on Telegram by the Russian news channel SHOT shows a high-rise building in Saratov with its side wall damaged and windows blown out on three floors.
In Engels, the top floor of a residential building was damaged, it was further reported.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny that their attacks were aimed at civilians. They say they are aimed at destroying infrastructure vital to the war effort.