Following reports from Russian news media, a drone was used to launch an attack on an airfield in the city of Pskov, damaging two Ilyushin 76 military transport planes.
Pskov is located in the far northwestern region of Russia. Concerns have been raised regarding the increasing use of explosive drones to target Russian territory because the attack caused a fire to break out on one of the planes, as per BBC.
Explosive Drone Attack Damages Military Planes at Pskov Airfield
The incident, which resulted in widespread fires and explosions at the airport, was observed and recorded by Mikhail Vedernikov, the regional governor of Pskov, who was present at the time of the events.
Even though the early information indicates that there were no injuries as a result of the strike, which the governor confirmed, this attack signals a worrying development in the ongoing confrontation between Russia and Ukraine.
An unanticipated hit was felt in Pskov, which is located more than 600 kilometers (372 miles) from Ukraine and is close to the border with Estonia. There has been no official statement made by Ukraine claiming responsibility for the attack, and opinions of this nature are unusual in relation to attacks that take place within Russia.
On the other hand, allegations have surfaced in the past few weeks suggesting that Ukraine has increased its use of explosive drones to target a variety of areas within Russian territory.
This recent assault on the airport in Pskov is not a unique occurrence. The location had been targeted by drones in the past, most recently in late May, which hints at a continuing trend of strikes of this kind. A drone assault in the Belgorod region of Russia last week resulted in the deaths of several people.
The heart of Moscow was also the target of a drone assault. These incidents took place not long after an attack by a drone operated by the Ukrainian government brought down a notable Russian long-range aircraft close to St. Petersburg.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has claimed that strikes on Russian territory are a reasonable response to the ongoing confrontation with Russia.
However, no specific claims of guilt have been made. The increased use of crewless aerial vehicles (drones) in combat is becoming an increasingly important factor in the ongoing conflict, according to Daily Mail.
Russia-Ukraine War
In a separate chain of occurrence, drone assaults destroyed Russian military aircraft, which in turn disrupted the operations of the country's commercial aviation.
According to reports, the regions of Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan, and Moscow and Russian-occupied Crimea were among the sites targeted.
The majority of the drones that were launched in the attacks were successfully intercepted by the Russian air defenses. However, one of the most important results was the attack that was carried out on the Pskov airport.
As a result of the attack on Pskov airport, two heavy military Ilyushin 76 cargo planes were destroyed, while two further aircraft sustained damage. The footage of the tremendous explosions that lighted the night sky over the airport was widespread on social media.
The airport's location close to other Baltic states, such as Estonia and Latvia, as well as its connections to NATO and the European Union, amplify the consequences of the attack. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have continued to rise amid reports that Ukraine was subjected to the most potent missile barrage it has seen since the spring.
Officials from Russia have stated that they carried out an operation in the Black Sea around midnight, during which they allegedly sank four Ukrainian boats and caused injuries. The situation is still in flux, although both sides are employing increasingly complex strategies, such as drone attacks, in their continuous struggle, Washington Examiner reported.
