Drone Warfare Escalates: Two Russian Airports Disrupted After Explosive Night With Ukraine

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Russia's federal Air transport Agency has imposed temporary landing and takeoff restrictions at Kazan International Airport and Gagarin Airport in Saratov after authorities alleged an attack by Ukrainian drones, ABC News reported on Saturday, citing RIA Novosti.

Kazan, located over 600 miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory, and Saratov, over 350 miles away, both reportedly saw flight disruptions due to the drone strike .

The press service of the Tatarstan region, where Kazan is the largest city, reported that eight drones targeted the city, with no casualties reported, according to ABC News, citing TASS.

"One was at an industrial enterprise, one was over a river and six were at a residential area," TASS quoted the press service as saying.

Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin reported that fires had broken out in homes across three districts of the city and announced a selective evacuation of schools where necessary, according to TASS.

Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov stated on Telegram that the region had been targeted by a "massive UAV attack."

"All forces have been deployed," Minnikhanov added. "The most important thing is not to panic. We have instructed the government to inform the population about evacuation sites in a timely manner."

Russia 's Defence Ministry stated that it had intercepted six of the drones targeting Kazan, which were reportedly launched in three separate waves from different directions, as per the news report.

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Ukraine's Air Force claimed that Russia launched 113 drones on Friday night, with air defenses shooting down 57 of them. The Ukrainian Air Force also reported that 56 other drones went missing due to active countermeasures. On Saturday morning, air raid sirens were sounded across Ukraine, with warnings of potential ballistic missile strikes.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia's continued attacks , revealing that the latest strikes had destroyed an oncology center in Kherson and damaged apartment buildings in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. He expressed gratitude for international support, highlighting that Russia 's escalating attacks included over 550 guided bombs, nearly 550 strike drones, and more than 20 missiles.

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The latest attack followed a combined missile and drone assault on Kyiv on Friday, which caused significant damage in the city center, killing at least one person and damaging several foreign embassies.

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