Russian state media confirmed on Wednesday that a night drone attack on an airfield deep inside Russia is highly likely to have destroyed four Ilyushin Il-76MD Candid transport aircraft.
Russia said that Ukraine launched drones against targets in six Russian regions, including an attack on an airport in the western city of Pskov – located near the borders of Latvia and Estonia – where military transport aircraft were reported destroyed amid explosions and a huge fire.
No casualties occurred when an airport in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov was attacked by drones, Pskov Region Governor Mikhail Vedernikov reported on Wednesday.
“I arrived on the site at the very start of the incident. According to preliminary information, there have been no casualties. The scope of damage is now being assessed,” Vedernikov wrote on his Telegram channel.
Social media footage showed several aircraft that resembled the Il-76 in flames on a runway at the airbase located roughly 660km (some 411 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.
Russian sources reports that four Russian Il-76 strategic airlifters were damaged in the drone attack on #Pskov Airbase.
According to reports, two IL-76s burned down and two more were damaged. pic.twitter.com/7yDD2Vc6ec
— ukraine_defence (@ukrdefence) August 30, 2023
Heavy drone attack against the Russian military airport Pskov military airport. According multiple sources 15 drones penetrated the Russian air defense and hit parking Ilyushin Il-76.
TASS reports that at least 4 Ilyushin Il-76 have been damaged. Videos confirm the burning of at… pic.twitter.com/BOR1T0UJ6E
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) August 30, 2023
Ukraine has not said it was involved in the latest attack, but it rarely comments on attacks inside Russia.
In recent weeks the country is believed to have increased its use of explosive drones to attack targets inside Russia.