Russia announced on Thursday that it had shot down a Ukrainian drone in Tatarstan, which is located in central Russia and far from the border with Ukraine. Kyiv has been using drones to attack Russian territory during Moscow’s military operation, sometimes hitting areas deep inside Russia. The Russian defense ministry stated that a drone was destroyed over the Republic of Tatarstan, which is situated just west of the Ural mountains.
The mayor of Yelabuga, a city 1,100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, reported that air defense systems had been activated in the industrial hub. There was no damage on the ground, and the situation in the city was under control. Footage on social media showed a drone approaching Nizhnekamsk, another city targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes in early April.
Following the attack, the main airport in Kazan, a city with a population of 1.3 million, faced restrictions on flights for over three hours. The smaller airport in Nizhnekamsk was also affected for more than two hours. Aviation officials stated that the safety of flights was ensured, resulting in eight airplanes being grounded.