Several members of a Russian air regiment and their security service colleagues have been reportedly killed whilst inspecting a Ukrainian kamikaze drone which they managed to hi-jack and land in an airfield in Kursk, Russia.
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A source in Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) told Kyiv Post the UAV was successfully intercepted by using radio-electronic warfare techniques and safely landed on the runway of the Halino airfield.
The leadership of the regiment based there as well as members of the FSB then decided to investigate their new “trophy,” the source said.
Their excitement was short-lived, with the drone blowing up as they were photographing and inspecting it.
According to the source, those killed or wounded during the explosion included the commander of the 14th aviation regiment, one of his deputies, a group of aviator officers, a representative of FSB military counterintelligence, and airport personnel.
However, the Kyiv Post was unable to confirm the specific individuals who died and who sustained injuries in this incident which occurred on Sunday.
The drone was one of several that targeted Kursk at the weekend. One hit an administrative building in the center of Russia's southern city, authorities said.
Kyiv has targeted Russian cities with almost daily attacks in recent months of Moscow's offensive, ongoing for 19 months. Kursk is around 90 kilometers (50 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
EU Defense Chief Calls for ‘Big Bang’ Spending to Counter Russian Threat and Strengthen Europe’s Military
Elsewhere, Moscow’s inability to pay salaries on time to its naval servicemen played a key role in last week’s devastating missile strike on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, according to Ukrainian partisans who helped plan the attack.
Speaking exclusively to Kyiv Post, the partisan movement of Ukrainians and Tatars in Crimea (ATESH) said it obtained key information about the location and activities of high-ranking Russian commanders from cash-strapped officers in exchange for financial rewards.
“Delays in payments alone do not force the military armed forces of the Russian Federation to go against the Russian authorities,” a spokesperson for the group said, adding that those who help them also believe their country is “waging a criminal war and that it needs to stop.”
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