1 dead in Moscow blast; not a drone strike: Russia

Kyiv, August 9

A blast rocked an optics and optical electronics factory in the town of Sergiev Posad, northeast of Moscow, on Wednesday, injuring at least 60 people, local authorities said. Emergency services said the blast appeared to have occurred in a warehouse containing pyrotechnic equipment, the state news agency TASS reported. Twenty-three persons were admitted to hospital, including six in intensive care, the Sergiev Posad mayor’s office said. The factory produces optical equipment for industrial and healthcare applications as well as for the Russian security forces.

Some Russian media reports mentioned that the blast was caused by a drone attack, but multiple Russian officials — including Vorobyov and Russia’s Investigative Committee — denied that.

Earlier in the day, officials said the Russian air defence shot down two drones aimed at Moscow overnight, in what they described as Ukraine’s latest attempt to strike the Russian capital in an apparent campaign to unnerve Muscovites and take the war to Russia. The drones were intercepted on their approach to Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. — Agencies

Ukraine tried to hit nuclear plant: Russia

Russian security forces said Ukraine had attempted to attack a spent nuclear fuel storage facility at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with a drone strike, a claim rubbished by Kyiv officials.

War to be discussed at G20 Summit: US

The ongoing war in Ukraine will be one of the top topics of discussion during the G-20 Summit in New Delhi next month, said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller.