Nine killed in escalating long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine

Missile and drone strikes far beyond the front lines are causing a mounting civilian death toll in both countries.Long-range attacks have killed at least five people in Russia and four in Ukraine, according to local officials, as escalating long-range missile and drone attacks kill a mounting toll of civilians.A Ukrainian drone struck a warehouse in the Moscow region, killing five people and injuring 10, regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Tuesday. The strike was one of three overnight attacks on warehouses across Russia.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Moscow restaurant bombing kills threelist 2 of 3Ukraine strikes Russia’s biggest retailer againlist 3 of 3At least 27 killed as Russia and Ukraine trade heavy attacksend of listA warehouse belonging to e-commerce giant Wildberries was also struck by drones in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow. Wildberries confirmed that a blaze broke out after another of its warehouses near St Petersburg was attacked.Kyiv alleges that the online retailer, Russia’s largest, plays a crucial role in Moscow’s war effort by supplying dual-use items that can also be used for military purposes.The company banned smartphones on Monday, to prevent employees from sharing images or footage that could be analysed by Ukrainian authorities to better bypass Russian air defences near Wildberries’ warehouses. Employees can now only carry phones without cameras.The Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara region was also attacked, triggering a fire.Meanwhile, in Ukraine, at least three people, including two children, were killed in Russian strikes on the northern city of Sumy.An elderly woman was also killed in an overnight attack on the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea.Separately, Russia’s state-run news agency RIA reported that Russian forces struck seven cargo vessels in the city’s port.