Ukraine confirms drone attack on Russian air base near Moscow

Kiev, Aug 22 (IANS) Ukrainian authorities have confirmed of carrying out a drone attack on a Russian military air base located near Moscow, media reports said.The drone attack on Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region left “at least one aircraft damaged”, CNN quoted Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, as saying to local media on Monday.

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

The Shaykovka military air base operates Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers that have been used by Russia to strike targets in Ukraine since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

The Ukrainian air force reported on August 15 that aircraft operating from the Shaykovka air base had launched four Kh-22 air cruise missiles toward Ukraine.

According to Yusov, Monday’s attack was carried out “in clear coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry” .

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

“In many other cases” Ukraine’s Intelligence performs various tasks from within the Russian territory, he said.

Russian social media blog Baza, which has close contacts with the Russian security services, said a Ukrainian drone had crashed on the territory of the Shaykovka air base on Monday, reports CNN.

Baza reported that “an unused aircraft at the airfield was damaged”.

“However, this information has not been officially confirmed,” it added.

Another Russian Telegram channel, Mash, said: “the Ukrainian armed forces attempted to attack the Shaykovka military airfield in the Kaluga region.”

Later in the day, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that Russian air defence downed two attack drones over the capital region, the BBC reported.

Flights were suspended at Moscow’s three biggest airports, according to state media, but the two main international airports at Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo later reopened.

–IANS