KYIV: Regional officials in southern and western Russia reported a string of drone attacks near the border with Ukraine and deep inside the country that resulted in no casualties, as the war with Kyiv trudged on Tuesday. At the same time, the hacking of Russian TV channels and radio stations as well as the temporary closure of St. Petersburg’s airport fed suspicion that Kyiv could be behind the disruption.
A flurry of drone attacks on Monday night and Tuesday morning targeted regions inside Russia along the border with Ukraine and deeper into the country, with one drone crashing just 100 km (60 miles) away from Moscow, according to local Russian authorities. A drone fell near the village of Gubastovo, roughly 100 km southeast of Moscow, Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the region surrounding the Russian capital, said in an online statement.
The drone didn’t inflict any damage, Vorobyov said. He didn’t specifically describe the drone as Ukrainian, but said that it likely targeted “a civilian infrastructure object.”
Early on Tuesday, Russian forces shot down a Ukrainian drone over the Bryansk region, local Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said. He said there were no casualties. Three drones also targeted Russia’s Belgorod region on Monday night, with one flying through an apartment window in its namesake capital, local authorities reported. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the drones caused minor damage to buildings and cars but no casualties.
Ukrainian authorities offered no immediate acknowledgement or comment on the reported strikes. Last year, Russian authorities repeatedly reported shooting down Ukrainian drones over annexed Crimea. — Agencies