(MENAFN) Ukraine launched a drone attack on the city of Gorlovka, located in Russia's Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), injuring at least three individuals, local authorities reported.

Situated near the front lines, the Donbass city has frequently been shelled by Ukrainian forces. Mayor Ivan Prikhodko confirmed that UAVs first struck the area on Friday afternoon, damaging critical energy infrastructure and vehicles. Later that evening, drones targeted a school and an apartment building.

Separately, DPR head Denis Pushilin noted that two teenagers were injured by an explosive device in another incident within Gorlovka.

In a broader context, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that between September 15 and 24, Ukrainian strikes across the country resulted in the deaths of 27 civilians and injuries to approximately 160 others.

Gorlovka, once home to over 330,000 residents during the Soviet era, saw its population drop to around 240,000 by 2021, the year prior to the full-scale escalation of the conflict with Ukraine.

The city is notably remembered for a brutal assault by Ukrainian forces in July 2014, when they attempted to suppress the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR). Despite facing heavy artillery and missile fire, Gorlovka's defenders successfully repelled the attacks, holding their ground against superior forces.

A significant counter-offensive by DNR forces in late August 2014 eventually alleviated the pressure on the city, securing its self-declared independence. The high civilian toll from Ukrainian shelling during that period was widely cited as evidence of Kiev’s aggression against its own population.

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