MOSCOW: Russian officials said on Friday that their air defences intercepted drones heading toward three of the country’s western regions, while satellite images indicated that a major drone barrage earlier in the week destroyed at least two Ilyushin Il-76 military transport planes at Russia’s Princess Olga Pskov airbase.
Regional governors said defence systems stopped three drones in the Kursk, Belgorod and Moscow regions. Moscow airports briefly halted flights but no major damage or injuries were reported, according to Russian authorities.
It was yet to be determined if the drones were launched from Ukraine or inside Russia.
Drone attacks inside Russia have become almost a daily occurrence as the war has entered its 19th month.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the drone strikes on Russian soil were set to increase.