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Two major airports in the Russian region of Tatarstan were forced to temporarily halt operations on Wednesday after authorities reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone in the area. The incident marks the latest in a series of Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory as Kyiv ramps up its aerial campaign against the Kremlin.
The Russian defence ministry said it had downed a Ukrainian drone over Tatarstan, a region located over 600 miles from the Ukraine border. While officials did not specify the target, the Rosaviatsia state aviation body announced that the airports in the cities of Kazan and Nizhnekamsk were closed for several hours “to ensure the safety of civil aircraft.”
Kazan is a major transportation hub and the capital of the Tatarstan Republic, home to over 1 million residents. The closure of its international airport disrupted both passenger and cargo flights in and out of the city.
The drone incursion into the Tatarstan region follows a string of daring Ukrainian strikes on strategic Russian targets in recent weeks using long-range drones and missiles. Overnight, Moscow said its air defences intercepted 17 Ukrainian drones and 10 missiles targeting areas including the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Of particular concern was a reported drone attack on a fuel depot in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where Moscow’s military headquarters overseeing operations in Ukraine is located. The local governor confirmed explosions at the depot caused by two drones, though no injuries were reported.
The strikes demonstrate Ukraine’s increasing ability to strike at Russia’s logistical infrastructure and command centres far from the front lines. Kyiv has remained defiant about taking the war into Russia itself after enduring months of devastating Russian missile and drone bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
As the drone campaign intensifies, Russian officials have doubled down on air defence operations near the border and at key military and transportation hubs. But the incident in Tatarstan shows Ukrainian forces can still penetrate deeper into Russia as the 15-month-old conflict drags on.