Russia has been hit with a wave of devastating drone attacks deep inside the country in another significant blow to its military.
Ukrainian drones have been striking further and further into Russia in increasingly brutal attacks that raise concerns about Vladimir Putin’s military capabilities in the run up to the presidential election.
On top of the aerial strikes, anti-Kremlin armed groups also claimed to have carried out a cross-border incursion on the ground.
Russia’s presidential election will take place from March 15 to 17 as Putin attempts to win the accolade of longest serving Russian ruler in history.
Despite Russia’s recent capture of previous Ukrainian stronghold city Avdiivka, Kyiv is striking back in Russia with relentless aerial assaults as the possibility of a fifth Putin presidency looms.
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Russia managed to neutralise the attempted incursions, but they may still have done a lot to unnerve the public just days before the election.
On Tuesday, the Russian defense ministry reported that 25 drones over at least seven regions had been intercepted, marking one of Ukraine’s most wide-ranging air strikes in months.
Local governors reported damage to fuel and energy facilities, including an oil refinery that burst into flames 480 miles from the Ukraine border in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Ukraine had also been repeatedly shelling the Belgorod region since the war began, with the Russian defense ministry separately reporting the destruction of eight rockets and one Tochka-U missile in the area. Ukraine has not taken responsibility for this.
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Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence, said the groups responsible for the recent incursions are made up of Russian citizens acting independently of Ukraine.
He said: “We are probably talking about a joint operation of these units, in particular in Belgorod and Kursk regions.”
Moscow has consistently refuted these claims in order to project an image of national unity, especially in the run up to the election, but Ukrainian officials maintain that their forces are not involved.
