Seven Uzbek citizens were among 13 people killed in a drone attack on several locations in the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk on Monday, Uzbek diplomatic officials have said.
Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, the latest in a campaign of long-range strikes by the Ukrainian military in the long-running war against Russia. Ukraine has often targeted oil facilities in an attempt to undermine a key source of revenue for Russia, though there were conflicting accounts of what was hit in the Nizhnekamsk attack. Ukraine´s General Staff said it hit an oil refinery and caused a fire, while local Russian officials said residential areas as well as industrial facilities were hit, and a child was among those killed.
Uzbekistan’s consulate in the Russian city of Kazan did not name the Uzbek nationals who died in the attack on Monday, providing only their initials. The consulate did not provide any further personal information.
“Necessary contacts have been established with local responsible authorities, agencies, and investigative bodies to clarify the details of the incident,” the consulate said. “We would like to inform you that the necessary arrangements are being made to repatriate the bodies of the deceased citizens to their homeland after the completion of forensic examinations and the necessary official procedures.”
The consulate quoted law enforcement agencies in Tatarstan, the region of Russia where Nizhnekamsk is located, as saying that 13 people were killed and 39 people were injured in the drone strikes.
Nizhnekamsk is a major industrial center that lies about 900 kilometers east of Moscow.
