Russian officials have accused Ukraine of launching a massive night-time drone attack on Russian soil, which appears to be the largest since the war began 18 months ago. According to the Kremlin, drones struck an airport in the western region of Pskov near the border with Estonia and Latvia, damaging four Il-76 transport aircraft that can carry heavy machinery. The airport strike started a massive fire, with unconfirmed reports suggesting up to 20 drones may have targeted the airport.
In addition to the Pskov region, more drones were shot down over the Oryol, Bryansk, Ryazan, and Kaluga regions, as well as the region surrounding the Russian capital. The defense ministry reported that three main Moscow region airports – Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo – temporarily halted incoming and outgoing flights.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russia launched what Ukrainian authorities called a “massive, combined attack” on the capital of Kyiv, killing two people and injuring another. The attack was the biggest on the capital since the spring, with Russian forces using Shahed exploding drones and missiles from strategic aircraft.
Vladimir Putin (Via Vladimir Putin/Twitter)
Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 28 cruise missiles and 15 Iranian-made Shahed attack drones targeting the capital and multiple regions across the country, with 43 weapons downed in total. The Ukrainian air force said that 43 weapons were destroyed in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, and the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south of the country.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s military assets behind the front lines in the country’s east and south, with the Kremlin repeatedly accusing the Ukrainian military of launching drones towards Moscow. Russia’s defense ministry said that it has used drones and missiles in its biggest bombardment of Ukraine’s capital in months, with the attack resulting in two people killed and another injured.
The situation on the ground is evolving rapidly, with reports emerging of drone attacks in multiple regions across Ukraine and Russia. As both countries continue to trade attacks, the resilience of their warriors and the strength of their people will be crucial in determining the outcome of the conflict.
