It is day 551 of the war in Ukraine. Radio Free Europe Ukraine has published the first images of Pskov airport following the recent Ukrainian drone attack.
Moscow’s mayor says a drone was downed on the outskirts of the Russian capital. Over 40 flights from Moscow’s airports were either delayed or cancelled.
The Russian Volunteer Corps has claimed responsibility for the recent attack on an airfield in the Kursk region.
The White House says Russia is in secret talks over munition supplies with North Korea.
Novaya-Europe’s news round-up will brief you on the main developments overnight.
First images of Pskov airport after Ukrainian drone attack published
Radio Free Europe Ukraine has revealed the first satellite images of Pskov airport following a Ukrainian drone attack on Wednesday that reportedly damaged multiple aircraft.
The images show that at least two Il-76 military transport aircraft were damaged, the outlet said, citing confirmation by aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchynsky.
“On the satellite image, we can see that the surface near the wings is damaged, most likely the drones tried to hit the fuel tanks located in that part of the plane. But this means the jet should be taken for repair, which will take two to three months at least,” Khrapchynsky explained.
In addition, two red vehicles, possibly fire trucks, were seen near one of the planes.
Pskov airport resumed operation at 7 a.m. Moscow time today, TASS reported.
“All services are working as usual,” the Federal Air Transport Agency said in a statement.
While the airport was closed on Wednesday following the attack, two flights to Moscow are scheduled for today. There are regular direct flights from the airport to four Russian cities and Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
There were reports yesterday that the Russian Railways would add carriages to trains going between Pskov and Moscow due to the closure of the airport.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War believes Russian forces may have focused their defence efforts on Moscow, leaving Pskov’s airport vulnerable to the unusually large number of Ukrainian drones The Ukrainian drones downed over six other regions on Wednesday by Russian air defence were likely en route to Moscow or Pskov and were unlikely to have been targeted at other regions, experts believe.
Moscow mayor: drone downed in Moscow region, over 40 flights delayed or cancelled in capital’s airports
Russia’s air defence downed a drone in the Moscow region, Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Thursday.
“Preliminary reports state there are no casualties or damage. Response teams are working at the site,” he added.
Over 40 flights in an out of Moscow’s airports were either delayed or cancelled in overnight and an “undesirable” incoming emergency protocol was implemented.
The Russian Volunteer Corps claims responsibility for Kursk region airfield attack
The Russian Volunteer Corps, a Russian paramilitary organisation that fights alongside the Ukrainian armed forces, has claimed responsibility for an attack on an airfield in Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday. The unit says it carried out the attack alongside Ukraine’s counterintelligence agency.
“All targets were destroyed. Note that these were legitimate targets; they were bringing death and misery to peaceful cities in Ukraine. We also damaged the air defences that supported the butchers’ aircraft,” the statement read.
White House: Russia attempting to strike munitions deal with North Korea
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the White House has fresh intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been discussing a munitions deal following a recent visit to Pyongyang by Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu.
Kirby said that Russia is hoping to procure additional artillery shells and other basic munitions as it continues its invasion of Ukraine. He added that while the negotiations were “more at the surface level”, Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing.
