Ukraine drone strikes: Putin faces largest attack since start of war as Moscow’s air defence under fire

Russia has experienced up to five separate strikes by one-way attack of uncrewed aerial vehicles in the past 24-48 hours, the UK’s MoD said today.

Russia is facing the largest attack since the start of the conflict and is likely facing difficulty in tackling such a sustained bombardment, the MoD said.

“Many of these UAVs have reached their targets, which likely means that Russian air defence is having difficulty detecting and destroying them. Russia is likely rethinking its air defence posture in the area between Ukraine and Moscow to better deal with these attacks,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

It noted explosions recorded in Moscow, Bryansk, and Ryazan, as well as at Pskov airbase close to the Estonian border. “The attack on Pskov likely damaged several Russian military transport aircraft. During August 2023 Russia experienced 25 separate drone attacks, almost certainly carried out by OWA-UAVs,” the ministry said.

“Previous strikes against Russian military airbases have led to the dispersal of Russian aircraft to locations across Russia. However, the recent strikes against Soltsy and Pskov have demonstrated that the UAVs have significant reach, making further dispersal more challenging,” it said.

Russia will likely “have to consider the addition of further air defence systems to airfields that it considers to be at risk from UAV attacks”, the MoD said.

Russian air defences have shot down a drone headed for the capital city, Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.

“Today, air defense forces in the Voskresensky district destroyed a drone flying towards Moscow. There were no casualties or damage. Emergency services are on the scene,” he said.

This is the second such attack in Moscow in less than 24 hours. The earlier attack was made by using a swarm of drones, officials had said.

Russian media reported earlier that dozens of flights had been delayed at Moscow airports, which has now frequently resorted to suspending operations during drone attacks.

Russia-backed officials in Crimea said anti-aircraft units downed a cruise missile fired at the peninsula last night amid speculation that it was a Ukrainian “Storm Shadow” missile.

Unconfirmed visuals showed a huge explosion over a Crimean town last night.

Prominent Russian military bloggers also mentioned prevention of “another attempt by the enemy” to attack the Crimean peninsula.

“Anti-aircraft forces in eastern Crimea have downed a cruise missile,” Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram, and asked residents to remain calm.

The advanced Storm Shadow class of cruise missiles have been provided to Ukraine by the UK.

Around 60 flights were delayed and cancelled this morning at Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, the Kommersant daily reported, citing a flight tracking website, with no reason given for the delays.

“According to information at 7.15am local time, 23 flights were delayed at Vnukovo, three were cancelled. 29 flights were delayed at Domodedovo, one was canceled, seven flights were delayed at Sheremetyevo,” the report claimed.

Airports in the Russian capital have in the past weeks suspended flights repeatedly due to what Russian authorities said were Ukrainian drone attacks on the city.

Ukrainian forces were making progress in the east, near Bakhmut, and in the Melitopol sector, where they are trying to move southward to the Sea of Azov, military spokesperson Andriy Kovalyov told national television today.

The besieged country’s air defences had shot down 28 Russian missiles and 15 out of 16 drones fired overnight.

Russian military accounts spoke of forces repelling five attempted Ukrainian advances in the east.

After launching its much-awaited counteroffensive nearly three months ago, Ukrainian forces are yet to achieve a breakthrough of Russia’s heavily mined and fortified defences acting as several lines of obstruction. However, this week they had penetrated the first main defensive lines.

Officials in Ukraine have indirectly blamed Russian president Vladimir Putin for the growing attacks inside Moscow, stating that his regime will see “chaos”.

“So long as Putin remains president, the war will continue. Pulling Russia deeper and deeper into the abyss of chaos,” Mykhailo Poldolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on social media.

Attacks on Russia in recent weeks, including repeated drone strikes on central Moscow are being witnessed by many Russians for the first time, even as Ukrainians have spent the past year and a half in constant peril from air strikes.

Moscow has relentlessly pounded Ukrainian cities with long range missiles and drone strikes throughout the war claiming that it only targets military targets but has instead struck schools, hospitals and theatres. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed.

At least six Ukrainian servicemen were killed aboard two helicopters while they were “carrying out missions” in eastern Ukraine, the military said.

There was no indication what happened involving two widely-used Mi-8 helicopters on Tuesday.

A military statement on Telegram aid the men were “carrying out missions” in the sector of the Russian-held eastern city of Bakhmut when they died.

The news site Ukrainska Pravda said the incident occurred near Kramatorsk, a large town west of Bakhmut in Donetsk region, theatre of much of the fighting in Russia’s 18-month invasion of its neighbour.

The two helicopters were “completely destroyed” and the bodies were found at the site, it added.

An air force spokesperson identified as Yevhen Rakita told public broadcaster Suspilne that the men aboard were officers.

Ukrainian drones have hit at least six regions deep inside Russia in one of the largest such strikes since the start of Moscow’s invasion.

Russian officials confirmed attacks on targets in the Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions, with the assault on the military airfield in Pskov that damaged aircraft as the most significant. Situated more than 600km (400 miles) from Ukraine, it was where a number of elite paratroopers are stationed. The state-run Tass news agency reported at least four giant Il-76 transport planes were damaged, two of which had “burst into flames”.

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was working out where the drones were launched from to prevent further strikes on Russian soil.

President Vladimir Putin had been informed immediately, as would be the case in any such “massive attacks”, Mr Peskov said.

A huge fire with sounds of sirens emerged from northern Russia yesterday as an explosion was seen at a military airfield in Pskov, more than 600km (400 miles) from Ukraine, where Moscow has gathered all its elite paratroopers. At least four Il-76 transport planes were damaged, two of which had “burst into flames”, local news agencies reported.

While Moscow said it had thwarted all the attacks, it has always typically described all Ukrainian drone strikes as unsuccessful, regardless of the damage on the ground.

In a rare confirmation, the Kyiv government said the Russian planes had been destroyed in Pskov, without commenting on the nature of their destruction.

It generally withholds comment on strikes on territory inside Russia though it says it has a right to hit military targets.

“Yes, four IL-76 transport planes were destroyed in Pskov at an airfield, they are beyond repair. Also, several other of those (aircraft) are damaged, but the information is being checked,” Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s GUR military agency said.

Ukraine’s Western allies have publicly forbidden it from using weapons they supply to attack Russia but say Ukraine has a right to carry out such strikes with its own weapons.

Ukrainian drones struck at least six regions deep inside Russia on Tuesday night, in one of the largest such strikes since the start of Moscow’s invasion.

Russian officials reported attacks on targets in the Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions, with the assault on the military airfield in Pskov that damaged aircraft as the most significant.

Situated more than 600km (400 miles) from Ukraine, it was where a number of elite paratroopers are stationed. The state-run Tass news agency reported at least four giant Il-76 transport planes were damaged, two of which had “burst into flames”.

Russia has already been stuck by more than 70 drones this month in attacks it blames Ukraine for carrying out hostile attacks. While Kyiv has never taken any public responsibility for these attacks, it has never not denied striking targets inside Russia.