Ukraine kills 13, including a child, in drone attack on Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, officials say

A Ukrainian drone strike killed at least 13 people, including Central Asian nationals and a child, and wounded 39 others in the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, authorities said on Monday, one of the heaviest civilian tolls in Russia in months.

Russian investigators said they had opened a criminal case into what they qualified as a terrorist attack, saying in a statement that Ukraine had struck residential areas and that a child was among those civilians killed.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the strike had hit industrial facilities and residential buildings and accused Kyiv of deliberately attacking civilians. Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly said they do not target civilians.

Seven Uzbek citizens were among those killed in Nizhnekamsk, the Uzbek consulate in Kazan said. A Tajik citizen was also killed, Russian state news agency TASS cited the Tajik foreign ministry as saying.

Nine out of 13 victims were in a hostel at the time of the strike, Russian state news agency RIA said, citing the press office of the head of the region. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.