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| Drone Explodes at Russian Military Airport (Pict Of Illustration) |
International Military - An explosion occurred at a military air base in the Kaluga region, which is southwest of the Russian capital. The explosion occurred when the unidentified drone hit the ground. Local authorities revealed this on Friday (8/10/2022). They added that there were no casualties or major damage.
According to Kaluga Governor Vladislav Shapsha, “An explosion occurred at the Shaikovka military airport, with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which was probably flying from (this) side of the border, hitting the ground in the area.” "There were no casualties. The airport's infrastructure and equipment did not suffer any damage," the official said.
He added there was no threat to airport operations at this time while authorities were investigating the incident. Shaikovka is located about 600 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border and 300 kilometers southwest of Moscow. In addition, according to media reports, the facility is home to Russia's strategic supersonic bomber regiment.
While Shapsha did not comment on who might have been behind the intrusion, news outlet Mash described the incident at the base as a "diversion." It said the UAV with grenades was launched Friday morning not far from the air base. “(Drones) did not enter Russia from Ukrainian territory. The aim was to destroy the airport runway," he wrote, adding the flight path had been damaged but had been repaired.
Since the start of the Russian military campaign in late February, Ukraine has repeatedly used drones for military purposes. In late September, in one of the most famous examples of this, a Ukrainian UAV laden with explosives attacked the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, although no damage was done to the reactor.