{"id":71285,"date":"2022-12-06T18:50:02","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T18:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/12\/06\/ukraine-leader-defiant-as-drone-strikes-hit-russia-again\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:34:17","slug":"ukraine-leader-defiant-as-drone-strikes-hit-russia-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/12\/06\/ukraine-leader-defiant-as-drone-strikes-hit-russia-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine leader defiant as drone strikes hit Russia again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KYIV, Ukraine \u2014 Drones struck inside Russia\u2019s border with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ukraine<\/a> Tuesday in the second day of attacks exposing the vulnerability of some of Moscow\u2019s most important military sites, observers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukrainian officials did not formally confirm carrying out drone strikes inside Russia, and they have maintained ambiguity over previous high-profile attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/12\/04\/russia-burning-through-ammunition-in-ukraine-at-extraordinary-rate\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22266629377449.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Russia burning through ammunition in Ukraine at \u2018extraordinary\u2019 rate<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Russia is running out of its precision-guided weapons fastest, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at the Reagan National Defense Forum.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Britain\u2019s Defense Ministry said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/12\/05\/satellite-images-show-new-russian-military-facility-in-mariupol\/\" target=\"_blank\">Russia<\/a> was likely to consider the attacks on Russian bases more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the border with Ukraine as \u201csome of the most strategically significant failures of force protection since its invasion of Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian authorities will \u201ctake the necessary measures\u201d to enhance protection of key facilities. Russian bloggers who generally maintain contacts with officials in their country\u2019s military criticized the lack of defensive measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A fire broke out at an airport in Russia\u2019s southern Kursk region that borders Ukraine after a drone hit the facility, the region\u2019s governor said Tuesday. In a second incident, an industrial plant 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Ukrainian border was also targeted by drones, which missed a fuel depot at the site, Russian independent media reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey will have less aviation equipment after being damaged due to these mysterious explosions,\u201d said Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. \u201cThis is undoubtedly excellent news because if one or two aircraft fail, then in the future, some more aircraft may fail in some way. This reduces their capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moscow blamed Kyiv for unprecedented attacks on two air bases deep inside Russia on Monday. The attacks on the Engels base in the Saratov region on the Volga River and the Dyagilevo base in the Ryazan region in western Russia were some of the most brazen inside Russia during the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the aftermath, Russian troops carried out another wave of missile strikes on Ukrainian territory struck homes and buildings and killed civilians, compounding damage done to power and other infrastructure over weeks of missile attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Approximately half of households in the Kyiv region remain without electricity, the regional governor said Tuesday, while authorities in the southern Odesa say they have managed to restore power to hospitals and some vital services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a new display of defiance from Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to an eastern city near the front line. Marking Ukraine\u2019s Armed Forces Day, Zelenskyy traveled to the eastern Donetsk region and vowed to push Russian forces out of all of Ukraine\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2001\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center left, stands along servicemen during a minute of silence in honor of soldiers killed during fighting with Russian troops as he visits the Sloviansk, Donbas region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-106195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22340412859079.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center left, stands along servicemen during a minute of silence in honor of soldiers killed during fighting with Russian troops as he visits the Sloviansk, Donbas region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEveryone sees your strength and your skill. &#8230; I\u2019m grateful to your parents. They raised real heroes,\u201d Zelenskyy said Tuesday in a video address to Ukrainian forces from the city of Sloviansk, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Tu-141 Strizh (Swift) drone entered service with the Soviet air force in the 1970s and was designed for reconnaissance duties. It can be fitted with a warhead that effectively turns into a cruise missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike modern drones, it can only stay in the air for a limited amount of time and fly straight to its designated target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its outdated technology makes it easily detectable by modern air defense systems and easy to shoot down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another Soviet-built drone in the Ukrainian armed forces\u2019 inventory, the Tu-143 Reis (Flight) has a much shorter range of about 180 kilometers (about 110 miles).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Russian pro-war blogger posting on the Telegram channel \u201cMilinfolive\u201d on Monday hit out at Russian military leadership, alleging that incompetence and lack of proper fortifications at the airbases made Ukrainian drone strikes possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry said three Russian servicemen were killed and four others wounded by debris, and that two aircraft were slightly damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Ukrainian forces took control in November of the major Russian-occupied city of Kherson, neither side has made significant advances. But Ukrainian officials have indicated that the country plans to pursue counteroffensives during the winter when frozen ground is conducive to moving heavy equipment. Kherson city is still being hit by Russian rocket attacks but if Ukrainian forces establish firm control there it could be a bridgehead for advancing toward Crimea.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/11\/23\/us-to-send-anti-drone-machine-guns-air-defense-ammunition-to-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NASAMS-Andoya.JPG-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US to send anti-drone machine guns, air defense ammunition to Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon is seeking to give Ukraine what it needs to defend against Russian drones targeting the embattled country&#039;s energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov said the latest strikes by Ukraine \u201chave raised questions about security of Russian military air bases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Engels base hosts Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers that have been involved in strikes on Ukraine. Dyagilevo houses tanker aircraft used for mid-air refueling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a daily intelligence update on the war in Ukraine, Britain\u2019s Defense Ministry said the bombers would likely be dispersed to other airfields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Peskov said that \u201cthe Ukrainian regime\u2019s course for continuation of such terror attacks poses a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peskov reaffirmed that Russia sees no prospects for peace talks now, adding that \u201cthe Russian Federation must achieve its stated goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia, meanwhile, maintained intense attacks on Ukrainian territory, shelling towns overnight near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that left more than 9,000 homes without running water, local Ukrainian officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The towns lie across the Dnieper River from the nuclear plant, which was seized by Russian forces in the early stages of the war. Russia and Ukraine have for months accused each other of shelling at and around the plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The head of Ukraine\u2019s northern Sumy region, which borders Russia, said that Moscow launched over 80 missile and heavy artillery attacks on its territory. Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said the strikes damaged a monastery near the border town of Shalyhyne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ihnat, the Ukrainian air force spokesman, said the country\u2019s ability to shoot down incoming missiles is improving, noting there had been no recent reports of Iranian-made attack drones being used on Ukrainian territory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drones struck inside Russia\u2019s border with Ukraine Tuesday in the second day of attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":106194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":13,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,13,24,89,16,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2938],"class_list":["post-71285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"O6QUKHB43RA2DMCQXB7U4KW5TI","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/12\/06\/ukraine-leader-defiant-as-drone-strikes-hit-russia-again\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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