A military air base in Western Russia came under attack from an explosives-laden drone on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported. Military officials added that while the attack was thwarted, one aircraft still sustained damage.
In its statement, the ministry detailed that the incursion took place at about 10am Moscow time. According to the statement, the “Kiev regime” was behind the “terrorist attack” in Novgorod Region.
The UAV was detected by the airfield’s personnel and destroyed by small arms fire, the ministry revealed. “A fire broke out on the airfield as a result of the terrorist attack, which was swiftly extinguished by firefighting units,” the statement said.
While the incident did not cause any casualties, one plane was damaged.
Later in the day, the ministry added that one drone had been brought down over Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine, with electronic warfare systems thwarting a similar attack over Moscow Region.
According to military officials, neither incident caused casualties or damage on the ground.
Numerous drone attacks have been attempted on Russian territory over the past several months, with UAVs shot down even over Moscow. The Russian authorities have accused Kiev of staging the attacks. The Ukrainian leadership, while stopping short of claiming responsibility, has hinted that it was indeed behind the aerial incursions.
Back in May, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed it had foiled a drone attack on a military airfield near the city of Ivanovo in central Russia.
Last December, several UAVs targeted Dyagilevo and Engels military airfields, located 500km (310.7 miles) and 700km (435 miles) from Ukrainian territory, respectively. Six people were killed on the ground, with two planes receiving minor damage as a result, according to officials.
Credit: RT News