In the face of increasing international tensions, Ukraine’s president has defended his country’s right to defend itself against what he called Russia’s aggression.
The attacks represent the second time drones have been used to target Russian installations in as many weeks. According to experts, drones attacked inside Russian territory near the Ukrainian border for a second day on Tuesday, putting some of Moscow’s most vital military facilities at risk.
Ukraine’s top officials have been deliberately vague about whether or not their country has conducted drone strikes within Russia.
However, the British Ministry of Defense stated that Russia would likely view the strikes on Russian bases located more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the border with Ukraine as “some of the most strategically significant failures of force protection since its invasion of Ukraine.”
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, has stated that Russia will “take the necessary measures” to increase security at strategic institutions. Russian bloggers in regular contact with government leaders in their country’s military have voiced concerns about the absence of preventative measures.
The airport in Russia’s southern Kursk district near the Ukraine border caught fire after Ukrainian drones reportedly crashed into it, the regional governor said on Tuesday. According to unbiased Russian media, drones also missed a fuel store at a factory 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
“They will have less aviation equipment after being damaged due to these mysterious explosions,” said Yurri Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Forces of Ukraine. “This is undoubtedly excellent news because if one or two aircraft fail, then in the future, some more aircraft may fail in some way. This reduces their capabilities.”
Moscow accused Kyiv of attacking two Russian air sites located deep within the country on the previous day. Some of the most daring strikes within Russia happened during the conflict, including the ones on the Engels facility in the Saratov region on the Volga River and the Dyagilevo base in the Ryazan region in western Russia.
As a result, Russian troops launched another wave of missile attacks on Ukrainian territory, wreaking havoc on the country’s electricity and infrastructure and killing civilians.
While authorities in southern Odessa, which was hit severely on Monday, say they have restored power to hospitals and certain important services, the regional governor in Kyiv stated Tuesday that around half of households in the region still do not have energy.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, recently made a trip to the eastern part of the Donetsk region, where he visited areas close to the front line. This was a new show of defiance on his part. On the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he pledged to expel Russian forces from all of Ukraine’s land.
From the eastern Ukrainian stronghold of Sloviansk, Zelenskyy addressed the Ukrainian forces via video message, “Everyone sees your strength and your skill. … I’m grateful to your parents. The raised real heroes.”
