Drones Attack Military Aircraft in Russia’s Northwest
A Russian airport near the border with Estonia and Latvia was targeted by drones in a rare overnight attack, officials said Wednesday, confirming at least one military aircraft was damaged.
The attack on Pskov airport, roughly 700 kilometers (more than 400 miles) from the border with Ukraine, marks the latest strike deep inside Russian territory since Kyiv vowed to “return” the conflict to Russia in July.
Pskov governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on social media that a drone attack “had been repelled in Pskov airport,” adding there were no casualties but that authorities were assessing the damage.
Vedernikov, who said he was at the scene of the attack in the small hours of Wednesday, posted a video showing a large fire and smoke on the skyline, as blasts and sirens could be heard in the background.
Later footage shared by the governor showed a barrage of outgoing fire from what appeared to be Russian air defenses.
There was no immediate comment from the defense ministry, which said in the early hours of the morning it had downed a wave of drones in several other regions.
State news agency TASS, citing emergency services, said that four Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport planes were damaged in the attack in Pskov.
The emergencies ministry only said that at least one Il-76 military transport plane had caught fire at the airport.
All Wednesday flights at the airport were cancelled, Vedernikov said, “until the nature of the possible damage to the runway” was clarified.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that military experts were working to find out which routes the drones were taking in order “to prevent such situations in the future.”
“Indeed, the terrorist activity of the Kyiv regime continues, with an overwhelming number of drones flying precisely at civilian targets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The region of Pskov, which was also targeted by drones in late May, is surrounded by NATO members Estonia and Latvia to its west and Belarus to its south.
