Russian Iskander strike hits Ukrainian drone launch site – MOD (VIDEO)
Moscow’s forces have hit a site used by the Ukrainian military to launch long-range kamikaze drones against Russia, the defense ministry in Moscow has announced.
As many as 65 unmanned Lyuty (‘Cruel’) class aerial vehicles were destroyed in the attack, as well as four trucks, five launchers and some 30 Ukrainian soldiers, including drone operators, according to a ministry Telegram post on Friday.
The site, in area near the village of Martovoe located some 50 kilometers east of the city of Kharkov in northeastern Ukraine, was targeted with an Iskander ballistic missile, the ministry said, releasing footage of what it claims is the attack.
Lyuty class drones reportedly have a range of 1,000 kilometers and can carry explosive payload weighing up to 75 kilograms.
Kiev has routinely launched drone raids deep into Russia in recent months, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas in attacks that often led to civilian casualties. Russian officials have accused Ukraine of “terrorism” over the strikes.
Ukrainian drone strikes in this month alone have killed six civilians in Belgorod and Kherson Regions as well as causing a major power outage in Western Russia. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky also threatened Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions with blackouts in October.
Last week, Russia’s state-owned nuclear power plant operator reported an attack on a station in Voronezh Region that was repelled by signal jamming.
Moscow has launched retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military sites, including drone assembly facilities, in response.
