One injured in Ukraine drone attack on Russia's Saratov

A Ukrainian drone attack has injured a woman and damaged several homes across two key cities of Russia's Saratov region, located around 900 km from the border, the governor of the region southeast of Moscow said.

A residential complex in the city of Saratov was damaged by falling debris from drones destroyed by Russia's air defence systems, regional governor Roman Basurgin said on the Telegram messaging app.

"A woman was hospitalised in serious condition," Basurgin said. "Doctors are fighting for her life."

At least nine drones were destroyed by Russia air defenses, Moscow's defence ministry said. Temporary flight restrictions have been imposed in the Saratov region, RIA Agency reported. 

Earlier, Basurgin said emergency services had fanned out at affected sites in Saratov and Engels, key cities in the region several hundred kilometres southeast of the capital.

Russia has a strategic bomber military base in Engels that Ukraine has attacked numerous times since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. There was no immediate information on damage at the base.

Videos posted on Telegram by the Russian news SHOT channel showed what it identified as a high-rise residential building in Saratov, with a damaged side and several windows blown out across three floors.

In Engels, the top floor of a residential building was damaged, it added.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks, which they say aim to destroy infrastructure key to war efforts.