KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A village in a border region of western Russia was evacuated Sunday following a series of explosions after debris from a downed Ukrainian drone set fire to a nearby warehouse, local officials said.
Social media footage appeared to show rising clouds of black smoke in the Voronezh region while loud explosions could be heard in succession.
Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said that falling wreckage triggered the “detonation of explosive objects.” No casualties were reported, but residents of a nearby village in the Podgorensky district were evacuated, he said. Roads were also closed with emergency services, military and government officials working at the scene.
A Ukrainian security official told The Associated Press that a strike had been carried out on a warehouse storing ammunition in the village of Serhiivka in the Voronezh region.
“The enemy stored surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, shells for tanks and artillery, and boxes of cartridges for firearms,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give the information to the media. “It is from this warehouse that the occupiers supply ammunition to their troops in Ukraine.”
The official also said that Ukraine’s State Security Service was behind a drone attack on an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region the previous day. Russian emergency services had reported that falling drone debris had started a fire at the site, which was successfully extinguished Sunday morning.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not address either strike in their morning briefing, but said that air defense systems had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod region.
The strikes come after a Ukrainian military spokesperson told AP on Thursday that Kyiv’s troops had retreated from a neighborhood on the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region that has been reduced to rubble under a monthlong Russian assault.
Russian forces have for months tried to grind out gains in Ukraine’s industrial east, in an apparent attempt to lock its defenders into a war of attrition. In a joint investigation published Friday, independent Russian news outlets Meduza and Mediazona reported that Moscow’s forces were losing between 200 and 250 soldiers in Ukraine each day.
Military analysts say Chasiv Yar’s fall could also compromise critical Ukrainian supply routes and put nearby cities in jeopardy, bringing Russia closer to its stated aim of seizing the entire Donetsk region.
Russian strikes have also heavily targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Officials in Kyiv said Saturday that the city had restored two-thirds of its power generation capacity after recent Russian missile attacks destroyed key power plants.
“Colossal work has been carried out,” said deputy head of the Kyiv city administration Petro Panteleev. “The city’s energy facilities, which were built mainly in the Soviet period, are being modernized and become much more efficient.”
Russia sent overnight into Sunday two ballistic missiles and 13 Shahed drones, Ukrainian air force officials said. All were shot down but the officials did not elaborate on the impact of the missiles.
Eight people were killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine in the past day, according to local regional authorities.
Four people were killed in the Kherson region, said Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin, while in Donetsk, Gov. Vadym Filashkin said another two people had been killed in the towns of Niu-York and Ukrainsk. In Dnipropetrovsk, a 65-year-old woman was killed in a Russian attack in the Nikopol district, while a 47-year old man was killed in the Kharkiv region, Governors Serhii Lysak and Oleh Syniehubov said in their respective statements.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, 14 people died after a bus collided with a cargo vehicle, leaving a single survivor, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Saturday evening. The victims included a 6-year-old child.
Associated Press writer Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report. Full coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen carry a coffin of British combat medic, volunteer, Peter Fouche, 49 who was killed on June 27 during his work in East Ukraine, at the funeral ceremony on the city's main square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, July 6, 2024. Peter was founder of a charity organization, which provides vehicles, drones and other needs to Ukrainian servicemen. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
Partner of British combat medic, volunteer, Peter Fouche, 49 who was killed on June 27 during his work in East Ukraine, mourns during the funeral ceremony on the city's main square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, July 6, 2024. Peter was founder of a charity organization, which provides vehicles, drones and other needs to Ukrainian servicemen. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
Arne Slot earned a Liverpool record of nine wins from his first 10 games in charge after the club stayed on the top of the English Premier League on Saturday.
Diogo Jota’s ninth-minute goal at Selhurst Park held up to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 and ensure Slot would be looking down on rival managers Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Mikel Arteta of Arsenal heading into the international break.
Four-time defending champion City is second after beating Fulham 3-2 and third-placed Arsenal won against Southampton 3-1. Both trail Liverpool by a point.
Slot is making light work of filling the void left by Anfield great Jurgen Klopp, with no other manager in the club’s history winning so many of his opening games in all competitions.
“It definitely is (very satisfying). And it’s actually also quite special if you know how many great managers Liverpool had,” Slot said. “But I also said last week I think that I hope they don’t only remember me in one, two, three, four, five years only for this. We are hoping to do more special things than this.”
Liverpool’s only defeat under the Dutchman was a shock 1-0 home loss against Nottingham Forest. Otherwise, it has been a perfect start for a man who had the ominous task of replacing Klopp, who won a full set of major honors including the Premier League and Champions League.
Slot looks likely to be the main challenger to City and Arsenal, who have been first and second respectively in the last two seasons.
Both of those teams survived scares to come from behind to win at home.
It wasn’t all good news for Liverpool after goalkeeper Alisson sustained a suspected hamstring injury and was substituted in the second half at Palace.
The Brazil international, who has only recently returned from a muscle injury, was holding the back of his right leg after limping off Selhurst Park and is likely to miss Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru.
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister also went off with a groin issue that makes him a doubt for his country’s qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia.
City extended its unbeaten home run to 50 games in all competitions with victory against Fulham.
The sequence dates to November 2022 when Brentford won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium through Ivan Toney’s last-minute strike. City was knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Real Madrid last season after losing a penalty shootout, but the game ended 1-1 after extra time and does not officially count as a defeat.
It took John Stones’ stoppage-time goal to preserve the record in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal last month and on Saturday two goals from Mateo Kovacic saw City fight back after Andreas Pereira fired Fulham into a 26th-minute lead.
Kovacic’s deflected strike leveled the score in the 32nd and he made it 2-1 in the 47th.
Jeremy Doku extended City’s lead in the 82nd before substitute Rodrigo Muniz set up a tense finish with Fulham’s second in the 88th.
Had Adama Traore been more clinical with chances in each half, City’s proud record might have been broken.
City is unbeaten in its last 30 games in the league.
Arsenal’s 400th home win in the Premier League era was secured only after being given a fright by second-from-bottom Southampton, which took the lead at Emirates Stadium through Cameron Archer 10 minutes into the second half.
Bukayo Saka set up goals for Kai Havertz in the 58th and Gabriel Martinelli in the 68th before Southampton twice hit the frame of the goal in search of an equalizer.
Saka then put the game beyond doubt with his third goal of the season in the 88th.
After becoming the first team in Premier League history to score in the opening minute in three consecutive games, Brentford is slowing down.
The west London club’s fans had to wait until the second minute to cheer its first goal against Wolves on Saturday when Nathan Collins found the back of the net on the way to a wild 5-3 win.
Matheus Cunha equalized for Wolves two minutes later and Bryan Mbeumo restored Brentford’s advantage from the penalty spot in the 20th.
It was all square again when Jorgen Strand Larsen leveled in the 26th, then Christian Norgaard put the home team in front for the third time in the 28th.
Ethan Pinnock made it 4-2 in first half stoppage time.
A frantic finish saw Fabio Carvalho score a fifth for Brentford in the 90th and Rayan Ait-Nouri grab a consolation for last-placed Wolves three minutes later.
Newcastle's Anthony Gordon failed to score from the penalty spot on his return to former club Everton as Newcastle drew 0-0 at Goodison Park.
Gordon, who began his career at Everton before joining Newcastle last year, saw his spot kick saved by Jordan Pickford in the 35th to the delight of the home fans.
The point maintained Everton’s recent upturn in form and extended its unbeaten run to four games in all competitions after losing its first four in the league.
Leicester won for the first time since being promoted back to the top flight by beating Bournemouth 1-0.
Facundo Buonanotte struck the winner in the 16th at King Power Stadium.
Also, West Ham beat Ipswich 4-1 at London Stadium.
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, left, sees his penalty shot saved by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. England, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
West Ham United's Michail Antonio, right, celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Ipswich at the London Stadium, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
Leicester City's Facundo Buonanotte celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, London, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Brentford fans celebrate their side's fourth goal of the game scored by Ethan Pinnock during the Premier League match between Brentford and Wolverhampton at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
West Ham United's Tomas Soucek celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the British Premier League soccer match between West Ham and Brentford, at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Southampton at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Manchester City's Jeremy Doku celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, center, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
From left: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota celebrate after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Liverpool's Diogo Jota, second from right, celebrates with teammatesafter scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Liverpool's Diogo Jota, right, scores the opening goal past Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Liverpool's Diogo Jota, centre, scores the opening goal past Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Liverpool's Diogo Jota, left, and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr challenge for the ball the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, centre left, Ryan Gravenberch, centre, and Diogo Jota celebrate after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot, centre right, celebrates with players after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)
