Russia strikes Ukrainian arms show, killing 10

Russia struck an arms show near Kyiv today, killing at least 10 people and wounding a hundred, Ukrainian officials said, in an incident that raised questions around the safety of such events.

Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko announced a criminal inquiry to establish "who made the decision to hold the event ... and whether the risks were properly assessed under martial law".

An AFP reporter saw at least five bodies covered in black sheets near the shooting range that hosted the event.

Promotional tents still stood inside the courtyard of the shooting range, with drones displayed beneath them, while a screen kept playing a weapon company's promotional video.

Behind a vehicle, a dead man lay on the ground, his face bloodied, while people gathered around him.

Russia, which has targeted Ukrainian training grounds and military events throughout the war, said it had struck an arms exposition showcasing "Ukrainian and foreign-made unmanned aerial vehicles".

Among the models on display were drones "used to strike civilian targets within Russian territory", it said.

The strike drew a backlash from many in Ukraine's defence industry and officials, some of whom implied that the event had been poorly organised and demanded accountability.

Presidential advisor Sergiy Beskrestnov criticised organisers of events that don't provide shelters and advertise themselves on social media.

Andriy Grytseniuk, head of Ukraine's state-backed defence group Brave1, urged "everyone involved in the defence industry to urgently review and reinforce their safety protocols".

At the scene, local official Alla Lakhmaniuk expressed anger, telling AFP the municipality had not given permission for the event.

"Everyone is very upset that such an event was held right next to residential housing... If you are going to hold such events, they must be in a safe place," she said.

Homes right next to the shooting range were in ruins. Debris and burned apples from a destroyed tree lay scattered across the ground.

Meanwhile, a Russian aerial bomb attack killed five people and injured nine others in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, the regional governor said.

Aerial bombs damaged 10 private houses, a business, and the premises of the Latvian consulate, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on the Telegram messaging app.

A Ukrainian strike killed six people and wounded 26 in Kirov in Russia, more than 1,000km behind the front line, its governor said, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his army had struck a military facility in the city.

"As a result of an attack by Kyiv ... unfortunately, 32 people were affected. Of these, six people died at the scene," Kirov regional governor Alexander Sokolov said on social media.

Wildberries warehouses targeted again

Ukraine hit the warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries - Moscow's equivalent of Amazon - again today, for the third time this week.

Kyiv accuses the e-commerce giant, which employs thousands of people and has become a key part of the economy, of storing drone parts and helping the Russian army.

Kyiv hit Wildberries warehouses outside Saint Petersburg and in Moscow-annexed Crimea today.

After the attacks, Zelensky said Kyiv had struck "logistics hubs involved in supplying the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment and other gear."

Wildberries employs tens of thousands of people across Russia, with warehouses and pickup locations all over the massive country - reaching even remote areas of Russia.

The company has an important role in the Russian economy, with small and medium businesses relying on the courier services.

The attacks come as Russian businesses are struggling with limited internet, tax hikes and fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes

Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace

Romania shot down a drone in its airspace today, its president said - a first since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The drone was shot down around 114km from Bucharest, according to the defence ministry of the NATO member bordering Ukraine.

"We had a drone in our airspace. It was shot down a few minutes ago, around 11am (9am Irish time) by a Romanian pilot flying an F-16," President Nicusor Dan told a press conference.

"It's important to note that the area was uninhabited, which is why the pilot was able to fire from above, and now teams from various institutions are investigating to provide all the details about the incident," he added.

The drone was shot down over the village of Padina, the defence ministry said.

Surveillance systems first detected an aerial target at 9:39am (local time) and two Eurofighter Typhoon jets of the Italian Air Force and two F-16 fighter jets of the Romanian Air Force were sent to monitor the situation.

"At 11:02, a Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft engaged the target and shot it down," the defence ministry said.

Romania has ⁠not yet identified the origin or purpose of the drone shot down but it appeared to be a Shahed, ‌the army's chief of ⁠staff ‌said.

"Visually, the pilots reported the ⁠drone ‌looked to be a Shahed type," the Army's ⁠Chief of Staff ⁠Gheorghita Vlad told reporters, adding it was too soon to draw conclusions.

Romania, which shares a 650km (400-mile) land ⁠border with Ukraine, has reported multiple breaches of its airspace by Russian drones since Moscow began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube River following its full-scale invasion in 2022.

In late May, a drone crashed into an apartment building in the town of Galati, near the Ukrainian border, injuring two people, the first time a strike had hit a densely populated area in a NATO country and caused injuries ‌during the Ukraine war.