A fire broke out early Tuesday at an airport in Russia’s southern Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the regional governor said, blaming a drone attack.
Key Points:
- Kursk’s governor said the fire had been contained
- Moscow blamed Kyiv for the drone strikes
- The attacks in Russia threaten to escalate the nine-month war
The fire came a day after Moscow blamed Kyiv for drone attacks on two air bases inside Russia and launched another wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian territory.
“As a result of a drone attack, an oil tank caught fire in the area of the Kursk airport,” Kursk Governor Roman Starovoy told Telegram.
“The fire is burning continuously. All emergency services are working on the scene.”
Ukrainian officials have not formally confirmed the attacks.
Presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak mocked Moscow in comments on Twitter.
“If something is launched into the airspace of other countries, sooner or later the unidentified flying objects will return to the starting point,” Podolyak wrote.
“The earth is round.”
The apparently unprecedented attacks in Russia threaten a major escalation in the nine-month war.
One of the airfields 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 its air defenses if drones could get that close.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had shot down two Ukrainian drones.
He said three Russian servicemen were killed and four others were injured by the debris, and two planes were slightly damaged.
The ministry did not say where the drones originated, but Russian military bloggers said they were likely launched by Ukrainian scouts.
The attacks on the Engels airbase in the Saratov region on the Volga River and the Dyagilevo airbase in Russia’s western Ryazan region were part of Ukraine’s efforts to reduce its long-range bomber force Russia’s reach, the ministry said.
The Engels base, located more than 600 kilometers east of the border with Ukraine, is home to the nuclear-capable Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers that have been involved in launching strikes in Ukraine.
Dyagilevo Air Base, which hosts tanker planes used to refuel other planes in flight, is about 500 kilometers northeast of the border with Ukraine.
AP