Russia-installed Donetsk region leader says Ukrainian drones kill three workers
Ukrainian Drone Attacks and Regional Impact
Fatal Incident in Donetsk Region
May 28 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone attack killed three utility workers in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Thursday, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said.
The workers, a repair crew for the water supply company, were in a car in Vuhlehirsk, north of the city of Donetsk, when it was struck by drones, Denis Pushilin said on the Telegram messaging app.
A fourth man was seriously injured in the incident.
Other Casualties and Incidents
Pushilin said four people were injured in other incidents in parts of the region under Russian control.
Control and Advances in Donetsk
Russia has called on Ukraine to abandon areas of the Donetsk region that it holds and said it is prepared to keep fighting until it secures full control over Donetsk. Ukraine has rejected the demand.
Pushilin said in March that Ukrainian forces remained in control up to 17% of the region.
Military Movements and Front Line Status
Russian forces have been engaged in a slow advance through Donetsk, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials have said Kyiv's forces have taken back territory and are now in their best position for months along the 1,200-km (775-mile) front line.
Drone Attacks Beyond Donetsk
Kharkiv Region Developments
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday its forces had captured the village of Novovasylivka in the Kharkiv region, further north, where Moscow says it is trying to establish a buffer zone on its border.
Drone Strikes in Central Russia
Volgograd Region
In central Russia's Volgograd region, regional governor Andrei Bocharov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said anti-aircraft units were repelling a massive drone attack. An apartment building was hit and energy and civil infrastructure was targeted, but no casualties were reported.
Yaroslavl Region
Russia's Yaroslavl region, northeast of Moscow, also came under drone attack, with authorities temporary suspending traffic in the direction of the Russian capital, Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said on Telegram.
Both regions have large oil refining facilities, a frequent target of Ukraine which is trying to cut Russia's energy revenue to bring the more than four-year-long war to an end.
Other Border and International Incidents
On the Ukrainian border, Acting Governor Yegor Kovalchuk of Bryansk region said on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone strike on a village killed one person.
During an overnight attack on Ukraine on Friday, a Russian drone crashed onto the roof of a block of flats in the southeastern city of Galati in Romania, injuring two, Romanian authorities said.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Jekaterīna Golubkova; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Stephen Coates)
