Ukraine Intel Official Says Kyiv Behind Drone Attack on Russian Air Bases

Russia also alleges more drone attacks

Investigators work near a damaged roof following a reported Ukrainian drone shot down in Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 18, 2023. Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters

Senior Ukrainian officials suggested on Aug. 21 that Ukraine was behind drone attacks allegedly carried out on two separate Russian military air bases located near the capital city of Moscow and in the country’s Novgorod region.

The first attack was reportedly conducted on Saturday on the Soltsy air base in the Novgorod region in northwestern Russia, about 700 kilometers (360 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.

On Monday, another drone strike reportedly took place at the Shaykovka air base in Russia’s southwestern Kaluga region, roughly 300 kilometers (180 miles) northeast of the Ukrainian border.

According to reports, the second attack resulted in a Tu-22 M3 bomber and two more aircraft being destroyed.

“We can state that groups coordinated by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian defense ministry succeeded at their work,” Andriy Yusov, the spokesperson of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), told the RBC-Ukraine news outlet of the latest drone attacks.

“It is known that several enemy aircraft were damaged,” he said without specifying whether or not the airfields were hit by drones.

Separately, Ms. Yusov told Ukraine’s Liga news that the first attack left “at least one aircraft damaged.”

“At least one plane is damaged. As in most cases, the Russian regime is trying to hide the true extent of losses and damage,” Mr. Yusov told the publication.

The Epoch Times cannot independently verify the remarks.

Police blocks a street outside a damaged non-residential building on Komsomolsky Prospekt after a reported drone attack in Moscow on July 24, 2023. Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images

Russia Reports Drone Strike

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the Shaykovka base houses Russian Tu-22M bombers; large, long-range anti-ship missiles that have regularly been used to attack Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Elsewhere, Mr. Yusov told CNN that Monday’s attack was carried out “in clear coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.”

“There are people who, in coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence, completed the assigned tasks,” Yusov said, adding that the “task” was conducted from within Russian territory.

The Russian defense ministry reported the drone strike in the Novgorod region, stating that “the Kyiv regime carried out a terrorist attack using a copter-type UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] against a military airfield in the Novgorod region.”

“The UAV was detected by the airfield’s observation outpost and was hit with small arms fire,” the statement read, adding that one aircraft was damaged during the incident.

Officials have not yet commented on the Shaykovka air base strike.

Separately on Wednesday, the Russian defense ministry said air defense forces had downed three drones that allegedly tried to attack Moscow in what it called “another attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack.”

“Two of the UAVs attacking the capital were destroyed by air defense forces in the air over the territory of Mozhaisky and Khimki districts (Moscow region),” the ministry said.

“The third UAV was suppressed by electronic warfare systems and, having lost control, collided with a building under construction in the Moscow City complex,” it added.

No casualties were reported during that incident, Russian officials said.

A woman checks her phone next to debris, following a reported drone attack in Krasnogorsk, Russia, on Aug. 22, 2023. Stringer/Reuters

More Drone Attacks ‘Thwarted’

Later on Wednesday, the Russian defense ministry said it had thwarted another alleged drone attack attempt by Kyiv in Moscow.

“An unmanned aerial vehicle was detected and destroyed by air defense systems over the territory of Belgorod region,” officials said, adding that no casualties had been reported.

However, Belgorod’s Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a drone strike on the Belgorod region had killed three people, according to The Moscow Times.

On Telegram, Mr. Gladkov said Ukrainian armed forces “launched an explosive device via a drone when people were on the street” adding that it was the second drone strike on the Belgorod region village of Lavy to have taken place within the past 12 hours.

The governor also said at least 12 other towns and villages in the region had come under drone and artillery strikes in the past 24 hours, according to the publication.

Ukrainian officials have not claimed responsibility for the incident or commented on the alleged deaths.

Amid the ongoing drone strikes, Moscow temporarily suspended flights early on Wednesday but they later resumed as normal, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

“As of 08:00 a.m. Moscow time on August 23, 2023, Moscow airports and Zhukovsky Airport are operating as usual. Earlier, in the early morning, in order to ensure the safety of flights of civilian aircraft, flights were temporarily restricted there,” the press service of the Federal Air Transport Agency told the publication.

Russia has previously suspended flights amid drone attacks, which appear to have increased since two unmanned aircraft were intercepted over the Kremlin in early May.

Reuters contributed to this report.