Russia accuses Ukraine of biggest drone attack of war

Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of its largest drone attack in the war so far, saying Ukrainian drones attacked six regions, including a major airport in western Russia.

The most devastating attack struck in the Pskov region of northwestern Russia, which borders Latvia and Estonia, at the Princess Olga Pskov International Airport.

Videos shared by Pskov Governor Mikhail Vedernikov showed a burst of flames erupting in the distance after the drones hit the airport just after midnight Wednesday.

Vedernikov said there were no victims but did not have specifics for the number of vehicles, aircraft and structures damaged by the attack. The regional governor has canceled flights out of the airport while damage is being assessed.

According to the Russian channel Baza, two aircraft were destroyed and four more were damaged at the Pskov airport.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said the drone strikes were terrorist attacks “targeted precisely at civilian facilities.”

“We are continuing and will continue the special military operation in order to eradicate this threat to us,” Peskov said, according to Russian state-run media outlet Tass.

Ukrainian drones also reportedly attempted to strike across the regions of Orlov, Bryansk, Ryazan and Kaluga, as well as the Moscow region.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claims it thwarted all of the attacks, including shooting down three drones over Bryansk. The Ministry has remained silent on the drone attack on Pskov, according to its Telegram channel, which has frequent updates on the war.

Ukraine has been striking inside Russian territory for much of the war but has recently increased the tempo of the attacks in the past few months.

Russian military blogger Rybar said Russian air defenses were struggling to defend against the unmanned drones.

“Judging by the experience of Pskov, everything is not so good,” Rybar wrote on Telegram.