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Photo: Governor of Pskov Region/EPA/Shutterstock

WSJ: Ukrainian Drones Strike Deep Inside Russia, Hitting Military Airfield, Other Targets

Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on military targets across Russia since the war began, disabling several military aircraft in a strike on the Pskov air base, as Moscow unleashed the most sustained missile barrage on the Ukrainian capital in months.

While Ukraine lacks the long-range cruise and ballistic missiles that Russia frequently fires into Ukrainian cities, destroying power stations, hotels, ports and residential buildings, Kyiv has developed an increasingly efficient force of domestically engineered strike drones that can travel several hundred miles into Russia.

Several dozen such drones were launched overnight, heading to the Moscow, Kaluga, Orel, Ryazan, Bryansk, Tula and Pskov regions, in addition to Russian-occupied Crimea, according to Russian officials. Additional drone strikes followed a similar pattern Wednesday. While most of these drones were shot down, the attack on Pskov, more than 400 miles from Ukraine, proved to be among the most significant Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil since Moscow started the war 18 months ago.

Four Il-76 military transport aircraft were hit on the Pskov airfield, and the city’s civilian airport shut down for the day, according to state news agency TASS. Another Russian news agency said six planes had been damaged. Andriy Yusov, the spokesman for Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency, told Ukrainian media four Il-76 aircraft had been destroyed and several additional planes damaged.

Footage posted by Russian media showed at least two planes ablaze and thick plumes of smoke engulfing the facility, with the sound of secondary explosions suggesting that ammunition was burning. Local media reported that a nearby base of Russian special forces was also struck. There were no reports of casualties.

The Il-76 planes based in Pskov were supposed to be used in February 2022 to disembark Russian airborne troops in the Hostomel airport near Kyiv, enabling a rapid capture of the Ukrainian capital. While Russia managed to drop heliborne forces into the airport on the first day of the war, Ukrainian defenders quickly damaged the landing strip and the Il-76 carrying reinforcements and armored vehicles never made it to Hostomel. --->READ MORE HERE

Mykhailo Fedorov / Telegram

Biggest drone attack on Russia, Crimea reported

Russian media reported what appears to be the biggest drone attack on Russian territory and Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 30.

Ukraine has not confirmed that it is behind the attacks.

A drone strike was reported in Pskov Oblast, with reports of explosions at Pskov International Airport. Pskov is over 800 kilometers north of Kyiv, near the border with Estonia.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that the strike had damaged four Il-76 aircraft at a military airfield.

Russian media outlet Meduza said that the 334th military transport regiment, armed with Il-76 aircraft, is deployed at Pskov airport.

Pskov Oblast Governor Mikhail Vedernikov said he was on the scene himself, and uploaded a video to his Telegram channel showing smoke and flames rising from the site. He announced that the airport will be closed for the rest of the day.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses shot down a drone headed to the city over the Ruza district of Moscow Oblast, west of the capital. No casualties have been reported.

According to Russian media, Moscow's Vnukovo airport shut down the night of Aug. 30, while flights at Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports were delayed, after the airspace over Moscow and Tula oblasts was closed. --->READ MORE HERE