Kyiv attacked a base in Russia that housed Iranian flight instructors in a strike which killed at least three people and destroyed a stash of the devices that have wreaked havoc across Ukraine, it has been reported.
Tehran is a key ally of Moscow and during its full-scale invasion, Russia has extensively used Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as the Shahed-136 to target civilian sites across the country, in particular energy infrastructure.
Details have emerged of an attack carried out on June 21 by Ukrainian maritime forces supported by operators from Ukraine's security services (SBU) which targeted Russia's ability to use drones.
It involved multiple strikes on Russia's 726th Air Defense Training Center, near the town of Yeysk in Russia's southwestern Krasnodar region, which is used to train troops to use drones, the Ukrainian Naval Forces' press service said on Monday, in a report carried by Ukrainian media.
The strike destroyed 20 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, 50 Lancet drones, attack UAVs, 40 ZALA reconnaissance drones and 10 SuperCam reconnaissance drones. Satellite imagery purportedly showed the aftermath of the attack.
The Telegram Channel Spy Dossier said that the strike hit adjacent administrative and living quarters used by Iranian instructors and Russian military personnel. The strike "hit a barracks used by Iranian flight instructors," the Kyiv Post reported.
The surnames of three instructors who had been killed were reported as Gunya, Sadreev and Kazhanov. It is not clear whether Iranians were among the dead, nor the extent of other casualties, although the Astra Telegram channel reported nine Russian servicemen had been wounded.
Pro-Kremlin Russian milbloggers, including Rybar Z, confirmed the facility had been attacked but said incoming weapons had been shot down and reported no damage.
Spy Dossier posted on Monday that the strike was carried out by two cruise missiles of an unknown type, which were "probably" R-360 "Neptunes—a Ukrainian subsonic cruise missile.
Kyiv did not identify the weapons used in the strike but the Kyiv Post reported that there was evidence Neptune missiles or similar weapons had been fired in the attack, which it described as one of the most effective Ukrainian counterattacks against Russian long-range strike systems since the war started.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries, as well as the Iranian foreign ministry for comment.
Overnight Tuesday, the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claimed responsibility for a drone attack on an ammunition depot in Russia's Voronezh region less than 50 miles from its border.
Ukraine has stepped up its strikes on Russian oil facilities which are used by Moscow's forces on the battlefield. In the latest attack, the GUR said that the blaze at the depot covered around 3,500 square meters and shared a video which showed smoke rising.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
