Last Tuesday(8/29/23) night, a representative from Ukraine within the Ministry of Defense verified that a drone attack had caused irreversible damage to four 76-Ilyushin II transport airplanes located at a Russian airfield in the Pskov region. This unprecedented incident has been considered one of the most significant attacks to take place within Russian territory since the beginning of the war. Nevertheless, no further information about the event was provided.
Situated in Russia’s far northwest, the city of Pskov lies over 400 miles from the Ukrainian border. In response to the attack, A representative from Russia vowed that such actions “will not go unpunished” and alleged that Western involvement facilitated the strike, insinuating that Ukrainian drones could not have reached such a distant Russian location without external support.
Governor Mikhail Vedernikov of Pskov shared a video on the Telegram platform, depicting a sizable plume of smoke billowing over the airbase amidst the blaring sirens. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as a result of the incident.
Post-attack satellite imagery shared on social media suggested that two of the II-76 planes were entirely damaged due to an explosive attack, while two other cargo airplanes incurred significant damage.
A spokesperson from Ukraine informed Reuters that several other aircraft at the base also sustained damage in the strike, adhering to Ukraine’s standard practice of withholding specific information regarding strikes executed within Russian territory.
As the conflict unfolds, the Kremlin has initiated an investigation to determine the launch origin of the drones, with the aim of preventing future attacks.
