Berlin, Riga In response to further explosions at military bases in Russia, Vladimir Putin convened his country’s Security Council on Tuesday. This is reported by the AFP news agency. The Kremlin announced that high-ranking representatives of the security authorities are consulting with the President on how the country’s “internal security” can be guaranteed. At first there was no further information.
It had previously become known that Ukraine had apparently attacked several airports on Russian territory. The airport in Kursk was attacked by a drone on Tuesday night, local governor Roman Starowojt said on social media. The shelling caught fire in an oil tank near the airfield. Puffs of black smoke could be seen over the airport on Twitter.
The governor published an appeal for volunteers on his Telegram channel on Tuesday afternoon. After “serious selection” and “combat training,” the group should help the military “protect the territory of the region.” The city of Kursk is located about 90 kilometers from the border with Ukraine in south-western Russia.
The strike on the airport came hours after attacks on two Russian military bases, each hundreds of kilometers from Ukrainian territory. The Engels military airport near the city of Saratov and the Diagiljevo airfield near Ryazan, which had also been attacked with drones, were affected, as the Russian government confirmed on Monday. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, three people were killed in Ryazan, and local media also reported at least five injuries. The city is only a few hours’ drive from the Russian capital, Moscow.
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Usually, Ukrainian authorities do not comment on alleged attacks on Russian territory. The spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Iurii Ihnat, accordingly did not comment in detail on the attacks on Tuesday.
The Russian President meets with his Security Council.
(Photo: IMAGO/SNA)
But it is “good news” if one or two Russian planes are now out of service. “Maybe a few more are out of order,” said Ihnat. However, Russia can continue to carry out massive rocket attacks: “They have many other planes.”
For military expert Mick Ryan, some insights can be derived from the attacks: In addition to the fact that Ukraine is capable of such actions, it shows that Kyiv wants to prevent attacks on its own infrastructure, the former Australian general wrote in a Tuesday statement published newsletter. In addition, the attacks on the bases are likely to unsettle the Russian public.
Expert predicts “sleepless nights” in Moscow
The air base in Diagiljevo is around 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and that in Engels is even 700 kilometers away. From Moscow, says Ryan, it is only 400 miles to the Ukrainian city of Cherson. This does not mean that Ukraine will attack Moscow. “However, this will lead to some sleepless nights in the capital,” said the ex-general.
According to a report by the New York Times, Ukrainian special forces were said to have been active on site during the attacks. They would have coordinated the attacks. By deploying soldiers at the target location, the precision of such attacks can be significantly increased.
The Engels and Diagilev air bases are important targets for Ukraine. Russia has stationed part of its bomber fleet there, with which cities and infrastructure in Ukraine are repeatedly attacked.
This satellite image is said to show a bomber prior to launch on December 3rd.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
At least two Tu-95 Bear heavy bombers were apparently damaged in the attack on Engels. Photos are circulating on social media that are supposed to show a machine. This has therefore considerable damage to the tail unit and is likely to be out of action for some time.
Exact information about the damage on site was not available at this time, said Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Ihnat. It is hoped that the Russian side has experienced “some significant casualties”.
British intelligence: Russian anti-aircraft defenses unreliable
Since the Russian attack on February 24, hostilities have been taking place almost exclusively on Ukrainian territory. But there are also increasing attacks on military targets on Russian territory, which observers attribute to Ukraine. The goal is military installations and supply lines, through which the Russian troops are supplied with weapons and ammunition.
From the point of view of the British secret service, the attack on Engels weighs particularly heavily. The British say more than 30 heavy bombers are stationed at the base as part of Russia’s nuclear deterrent. The fact that it could now be attacked with drones shows how unreliable the Russian air defense system is.
Russian authorities reported three dead and five injured after an explosion believed to have been triggered by a drone strike.
(Photo: IMAGO/ITAR-TASS)
According to the Russian government, the drones used are equipment from the Soviet era. According to military analyst Rob Lee, these are Tupolev M-141 drones. Although the aircraft designed in the 1970s could have been improved over the years, this type is said to be large and rather cumbersome.
In recent weeks, the state-owned Ukrainian arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom has indicated several times that work on a new long-range drone is about to be completed.
More: Why Russia isn’t regaining air sovereignty over Ukraine