The TASS news agency reported, citing officials from Russian civil aviation, that the airspace surrounding Vnukovo Airport in Moscow was closed early Wednesday after officials stated that the military was repelling a drone attack on an airport in the city of Pskov. Pskov Governor Mikhail Vedernikov announced on Telegram that the Russian military thwarted a drone attack on the city's military airport. Videos on social media showed thick black smoke rising above the airport, located in western Russia. According to reports, the attack resulted in the destruction of four IL-76 transport aircraft.
An account posted on Twitter stated, "HUGE explosions now in #Pskov. Lots of secondaries, as well. Reports of gunfire are likely from small arms targeting incoming UAVs." The attacks coincided with statements from authorities in Kyiv that at least two people were killed by debris from intercepted missiles in four locations, which they described as the most intense Russian aerial strikes on the Ukrainian capital in months.
Reuters captured footage of a fireball falling from the sky at night near a store, creating a massive explosion that lit up nearby residential buildings. Moscow stated it struck command and intelligence targets. A video posted by the Pskov governor on Telegram showed a massive fire with alarms sounding and explosions in the background. Another video circulating online depicted anti-aircraft systems operating around the city, located just 32 kilometers east of the Russian border with NATO member Estonia.
Moscow claims to have thwarted all attacks, typically describing all Ukrainian drone strikes as unsuccessful, regardless of damage on the ground. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is working to identify the launch sites of the drones to prevent further strikes, adding that President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed, as is customary in the case of any "widespread attacks."
Ukraine confirmed the destruction of Russian aircraft in Pskov but did not comment on the nature of the incident, generally refraining from commenting on specific attacks on Russian territory while asserting its right to target military objectives in self-defense. Western allies generally prohibit Ukraine from using supplied weapons to attack Russia, although they say Kyiv has the right to conduct such strikes using its own arms.
Russia claimed that Ukrainian drones attempted to attack a television tower in the Bryansk region, with no reports of injuries or fatalities. Recent weeks have seen repeated drone strikes on central Moscow, bringing the war to the home front for many Russians for the first time, while Ukrainians have faced continuous threats of air strikes over the past year and a half.
Russian missile bombardments of Ukrainian cities and drone strikes have continued throughout the war, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties in Ukraine. Ukraine claimed its air defenses downed 28 Russian missiles and 15 out of 16 drones launched overnight. Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration, stated, "Kyiv has not witnessed such a powerful attack since the spring. The enemy launched a massive and complex attack using drones and missiles."
Ukrainian forces have been conducting a summer offensive for about three months, but have not yet achieved a breakthrough through heavily fortified and mined Russian defenses, although they stated last week that they finally breached the first main line of defense.
