Fire erupted at a Russian airport along the Ukraine border Tuesday after an apparent drone strike while a similar assault narrowly missed a depot 50 miles from the border as defiant Ukraine appeared intent on bringing the war to Russia.
The strikes came one day after Russian authorities said a truck exploded at one Russian airfield, killing at least three people, and a drone damaged bombers at another airfield. The bases, in Russia’s Saratov and Ryazan regions, are both about 300 miles from the Ukraine border.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, but Ukraine presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak taunted the Kremlin on Twitter.
“The Earth is round – discovery made by Galileo. Astronomy was not studied in Kremlin, giving preference to court astrologers,” Podolyak tweeted. “If something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to departure point.”
Kremlin said it shot down two Ukrainian drones on Monday. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the military would “take the necessary measures” to defend against “terror attacks” at its bases.
Other developments:
►Ukraine Intelligence Directorate chief Kirill Budanov dismissed talk that Russia could be running out of missiles following weeks of overwhelming strikes targeting Ukraine cities. Russia has enough weaponry for “several more massive missile strikes.” he said.
►The U.S. secretly modified the advanced HIMAR rocket launchers it gave Ukraine so they can’t be used to fire long-range missiles into Russia, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a Biden administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The HIMARs have been a crucial component to Ukraine’s battlefield successes in recent weeks.
PUTIN DRIVES MERCEDES across bombed-out Crimean bridge; Russia blames Ukraine for blasts in air bases
Zelenskyy visits war-battered Donbas region
UKraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked his country’s Armed Forces Day by visiting with troops in the war-torn Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. Zelenskyy, speaking from the city of the Sloviansk, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the hotly contested struggle for control of the industrial Donbas, lauded them for their crucial role in the war and vowed to drive the Russians out of his country.
“I am honored to be with you here in Donbas today,” he said. “I wish you strength to heroically defend our state, as you are doing now.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Story Credit: usatoday.com