Russia is rocked by more drone strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to an eastern city near the front line after two more strategic sites inside Russian territory were reportedly hit by drone attacks.

A fire blamed on a drone attack broke out at an airport in Russia’s southern Kursk region which borders Ukraine, the region’s governor said.

In a second incident, an industrial plant 50 miles from the Ukrainian border was also targeted by drones, Russian independent media reported, apparently missing a fuel depot.

The strikes were carried out a day after Moscow blamed Kyiv for unprecedented drone attacks on two air bases deep inside Russia, and unleashed another wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.

Marking Ukraine’s armed forces day, Mr Zelensky travelled to the eastern Donetsk region and vowed to push Russian forces out of all of Ukraine’s territory.

He said in a video address to Ukrainian forces from the city of Sloviansk: “Everyone sees your strength and your skill. I’m grateful to your parents. They raised real heroes.”

Ukrainian officials have not formally confirmed carrying out the drone attacks, maintaining their apparent policy of deliberate ambiguity as they have done in the past when it comes to high-profile attacks on Russian targets.

However, presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak taunted Moscow in comments on Twitter.

“If something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to the point of departure,” Mr Podolyak wrote. “The earth is round.”

The attacks on Russian air bases – more than 300 miles from the border with Ukraine – exposed the vulnerability of some of Russia’s most strategic military sites, raising questions about the effectiveness of their air defences.

They also threatened a major escalation of the nine-month war. One of the airfields houses bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Russia’s defence ministry said three Russian servicemen were killed and four others wounded by debris, and that two aircraft were slightly damaged.

It did not say where the drones had originated but Russian military bloggers said they were probably launched by Ukrainian scouts, and argued that the strikes had inflicted serious reputational damage on Moscow.

In a daily intelligence update on the war in

Ukraine, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said Russia was likely to consider the base attacks as “some of the most strategically significant failures of force protection since its invasion of Ukraine”.

It said the bombers would probably be dispersed to other airfields.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that Russian authorities will “take the necessary measures” to enhance protection at key facilities in view of the latest Ukrainian attacks.

He reaffirmed that Russia sees no prospects for peace talks now.

Russia maintained intense attacks on Ukrainian territory, shelling towns overnight near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and leaving more than 9,000 homes without running water, Ukrainian officials said.

The head of Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, which borders Russia, said Moscow launched over 80 missile and heavy artillery attacks on its territory.