A day after Russia blamed Ukraine for drone strikes on two air bases Moscow blamed Kyiv for a drone attack on an airport in the southern Kursk region that borders Ukraine.
Kursk Governor Roman Starovoy said Tuesday that a fire that broke at the airport was the result of a Ukrainian drone attack. Sharing the details, Starovoy said the drone attack ignited an oil reservoir in the airport area and crews at the scene were trying to contain the fire.
Meanwhile, Russia has launched a new wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian territory after blaming it for carrying out drone attacks on two air bases. Satellite and on-ground imagery indicate some damage was done to Russian military planes at one base in the Ryazan region. The ministry also confirmed that three Russian servicemen were killed and four others wounded by debris, and that two aircraft were slightly damaged. One of the bases allegedly targeted by the Ukrainian drones houses bombers that could carry nuclear weapons.
Threatened war escalation
The unprecedented attacks in Russian installations deep inside the country —over 500 km from the Ukraine border — threatened a major escalation of the war, which started in February earlier this year. The attacks also raised questions on the effectiveness of the Russian air defense system, exposing the vulnerability of some of the most strategic military sites in Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, claims that the Russian air defense had brought down the drones.
Kyiv did not confirm attacks
Ukraine has offered no official comment on the drone attacks, maintaining its policy of deliberate ambiguity regarding high-profile attacks on Russian targets. Rather, Presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak mocked Moscow on Twitter saying: “If something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to the point of departure,” adding that “The earth is round.”