Chaos at Pskov airport in Russia following a drone attack: flights cancelled, military aircraft destroyed
Pskov International Airport in Russia was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the night of August 30. Russian media, citing eyewitness videos, reported a fire in the vicinity of the airfield, along with sounds of gunfire and explosions. The attack was later confirmed by the governor of Pskov Oblast, Mikhail Vedernikov.
According to Vedernikov, all flights at Pskov Airport will be cancelled today "until the extent of possible damage to the runway is assessed." "Preliminary assessments suggest nothing serious, but it is difficult to ascertain at night," stated Vedernikov.
Initial reports indicate that four Il-76 military transport aircraft were damaged, with two completely destroyed by fire. This incident could be the largest damage ever inflicted on Russian military aviation in the deep rear.
Shortly after reports of an attack on an airport near military unit № 64044 in the regional center, a fire broke out, according to the journalists of the ASTRA news outlet.
The city is located approximately 700 kilometers away from Ukrainian territory. Pskov Airport is a joint airfield, housing both military and civilian aircraft. It is home to the Berlin Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Regiment, which actively participates in the war with Ukraine. In addition, the city is home to the 76th Air Assault Division of the Airborne Forces, with Il-76 aircraft involved in the deployment of paratroopers.
The airport also operates passenger flights. As of August 30th, four flights were scheduled: Moscow, Kaliningrad, Mineralnye Vody, and Minsk, according to the airport's civilian schedule.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the incident at the time of publication. However, Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov provided a comment.
"A series of explosions, wild shooting, glowing embers and the bewildering silence of the authorities. No clear answers from any of the official phone lines. Pale-faced security officers wander around, and police officers aimlessly patrol, trying not to stick their noses into the dangerous, 'glowing' zone," he wrote in Telegram.
Following the incident in Pskov, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported "suppressed" attacks by UAVs over the Moscow, Bryansk, Oryol, and Kaluga regions, as well as the "destruction" of four boats allegedly carrying members of Ukrainian airborne groups, numbering a total of 50 people, in the Black Sea.