3 killed in Ukraine drone attacks on airbases deep inside Russia
- One base houses bomber planes that are part of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces; the drones were reportedly shot down, but the debris caused some damage
- Kyiv did not directly claim responsibility for what would be the deepest military strikes conducted inside Russia since the invasion began
A fire broke out early Tuesday at an airport in Russia’s southern Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the regional governor reported, blaming a drone attack.
The blaze occurred the day after Moscow blamed Kyiv for fatal drone strikes on two airbases deep inside Russia and launched another wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.
“As a result of a drone attack, an oil reservoir caught on fire in the area of Kursk airport. The fire is being contained. All emergency services are working on the spot,” Kursk Governor Roman Starovoy said in a Telegram post.
Ukrainian officials have not formally confirmed carrying out the attacks. The unprecedented attacks in Russia threatened a major escalation of the nine-month war. One of the airfields that was hit on Monday houses bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The attacks showed the vulnerability of some of Russia’s most strategic military sites, raising questions about the effectiveness of their air defences if drones could come so close to them.
The ministry did not say where the drones had originated, but Russian military bloggers said they likely were launched by Ukrainian scouts.