Russia’s defence ministry, which reports only how many drones were destroyed, not how many Ukraine launched, said its defence units downed a total of 74 drones overnight, including 22 over the Rostov region.

In the town of Salsk, a car was damaged as a result of the attack, killing the driver, Rostov’s acting governor, Yuri Slyusar, said on the Telegram messaging app.

A stationary freight train caught fire and power was disrupted at the train station in Salsk, forcing the suspension of train traffic, Russia’s Railways said on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which has often said that its attacks inside Russia are in response to Moscow’s relentless strikes on Ukraine.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with its full-scale invasion in 2022.