Drone Attacks Oil Tank at Airfield in Russia’s Kursk Region

(CTN News) – An oil storage tank was set on fire by a drone attack on an airfield in the Kursk region of Russia, a governor claimed on Tuesday, a day after Russia accused Ukraine of bold drone attacks on two military airfields deep inside Russian territory.

There were no casualties from the attack, and the fire was “localized,” according to Roman Starovoyt, the governor of the bordering Ukrainian region of Kursk.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports. According to earlier reports from Russia’s defense ministry, Ukrainian drones attacked two air bases in south-central Russia on Monday, killing three military personnel, injuring four others, and damaging two aircraft.

None of the attacks were specifically attributed to Ukraine.

The strikes on Monday would be the most in-depth inside of Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24 if they were behind them.

According to a senior Ukrainian official quoted by the New York Times, the drones used in Monday’s attacks were launched from Ukrainian soil, and at least one of the strikes was carried out with the assistance of special forces stationed nearby the base.

A Tu-22M aircraft at the Dyagilevo airbase was allegedly the subject of burn marks and other objects in images released by the Israeli satellite imaging company ImageSat International.

According to the Russian defense ministry, the low-flying drones were shot down in the attacks on Monday, which was terroristic attempts to bring down long-range aircraft.

185 kilometers (115 miles) southeast of Moscow, on the Ryazan base, there were reported fatalities.

The closest Ukrainian territory is at least 600 kilometers (370 miles) away from Saratov.

On social media, Russian commentators suggested that if Ukraine could strike that deep inside Russia, it might also be able to hit Moscow.

The air force bases attacked on Monday were the only ones in Russia that could fully service bombers used to attack Ukraine, according to Serhiy Zgurets, a military analyst for Ukraine.

The ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to reach military targets deep within Russian Federation territory has a very symbolic and significant meaning, he wrote on the Espreso TV website. However, it is still too early to say what is at issue in this situation.

Regarding the most recent report of a drone attack in Kursk, neither Moscow nor Kyiv have made any immediate comments.

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