Ukrainian drones hit Russian airfield, oil depot

KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian drones targeted a military airfield and an oil depot in Russia, a defence source in Kyiv said on Saturday, after Moscow reported repelling the latest aerial barrage.

Kyiv has stepped up aerial attacks on Russian territory, saying it carries out the strikes in retaliation for the bombardments Ukraine has faced since Russia invaded more than two years ago.

“Last night, drones from Ukraine´s Security Service visited the Morozovsk airfield in the Rostov region” that stored aircraft and guided aerial bombs, the source said.

“Ukrainian drones did a great job, hitting the aviation ammunition depot,” the source added.

Russia has launched more than 600 guided air bombs on Ukraine in one week alone, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“Russian combat aircraft must be destroyed where they are, by all means that are effective. Striking at Russian airfields is also quite fair,” he said on social media.

Russian officials did not address claims regarding the destroyed airfield, but local governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram that authorities introduced a state of emergency in the district of Morozovsk.

“At the moment we have recorded damage to the windows in several social facilities, including schools and kindergartens, as well as in residential houses and industrial premises,” Golubev said on Telegram.

The source in the Ukrainian defence sector also said its forces hit a fuel warehouse in the Kamensky district of the Rostov region, where Russian officials earlier reported a drone attack set fire to oil tanks.