Russia accuses Ukraine of missile attack in Rostov region after explosion rocks Taganrog

The city of Taganrog in Russia’s Rostov region was hit by an explosion on Friday. Local media and Telegram outlets reported that the blast shattered windows in multiple nearby buildings. Shortly after the explosion occurred, Governor Vasily Golubev reported that a “missile” had “presumably exploded” near a cafe on the city’s Lermontovsky Lane.

15 people reportedly sought medical treatment after being injured in the blast. According to Golubev, the victims had “minor injuries from debris,” though he later clarified that nine people had been transported to medical facilities and that their injuries ranged from “light to medium severity.” According to the Russian Health Ministry, 14 people were injured, seven of whom were hospitalized and seven of whom were treated at the scene.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the explosion was the result of a missile attack on residential infrastructure by the “Kyiv regime.” According to the ministry, Ukraine used a “converted” anti-aircraft missile complex to launch a strike on Russia, and a Russian air defense system intercepted the weapon in the air, causing debris to fall on Taganrog.

The governor said the epicenter of the blast was on the territory of the Taganrog Museum of Art. The explosion reportedly destroyed one of the museum’s walls, its roof, and multiple garages and utility buildings, as well as damaging windows and balconies in a neighboring three-story residential building.

Roughly an hour after the alleged attack, Golubev reported that the “destruction of a second missile by air defense systems” had been detected in the Rostov region’s Azovsky district. The incident reportedly caused no injuries but resulted in a residential building in the village of Sambek being damaged.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that at around 5:15 p.m., Ukraine attempted a second “terrorist attack” using the same type of weapon system. The agency said that Russian air defense forces intercepted the missile around the city of Azov and that its fragments landed in an unpopulated area.

On Friday evening, multiple Russian Telegram channels shared a dash cam video that appears to show a missile hitting a building in downtown Taganrog, seemingly disproving the Russian authorities’ claim that the explosion in the city was caused by falling debris after the missile was downed by air defense forces.