Russia-Ukraine war live: planes in Russian city of Pskov hit by drones; Russia claims Ukrainian vessels ‘destroyed’ in Black Sea
Planes in Russian city of Pskov hit by drones
A drone attack on the city of Pskov in northwestern Russia has damaged four heavy transport planes, state media reported early on Wednesday, amid reports of explosions in regions south of Moscow.
“The defence ministry is repelling a drone attack in Pskov’s airport,” regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on social media, posting a video of a massive fire, with the sounds of explosions and sirens in the background.
Pskov is located about 800km (nearly 500 miles) from Ukraine’s border and the surrounding region borders EU member states Latvia and Estonia.
In Moscow, news agency Tass reported that airspace above Vnukovo airport closed briefly in response to the attacks on Pskov, before reopening to air traffic.
There were also reportedly explosions in Russia’s Bryansk and Tula regions, according to the investigative news outlet Bellingcat.
There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry on the Pskov attack, but four transport planes were damaged, Tass news agency reported, citing emergency services.
Vedernikov said he was at the scene of the attack. “According to preliminary information, there are no victims,” he said, adding that the scale of the damage was being assessed.
Key events
Explosions heard in Odesa
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko has said online that there has been a ‘“rocket attack” on Odesa with explosions heard at around 3.30 am local time:
Rocket attack on Odesa region. Explosions were heard 10 minutes ago. We are waiting for information from the Air Force.
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) August 30, 2023
Two drones shot down over Russia’s Orlov region – local governor
The governor of Russia’s Orlov region, Andriy Klychkov, has said on Telegram that two Ukrainian drones were shot down tonight:
Tonight, while repelling an attack by Ukrainian UAVs, two unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down over the territory of the Orlov region by means of air defence. There is no information about damage or casualties. All operational services are involved to ensure security.
Russia’s military initially reported that one drone had been shot down over the region.
Here is a bit more context on the reported attacks on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea, via AFP:
Both Ukraine and Russia have ramped up activity in the area after a United Nations-brokered deal to ensure safe navigation for grain ships in the Black Sea collapsed last month.
Russia has since pounded Ukraine’s port infrastructure on the sea and on the Danube River.
Kyiv has attacked Russian ships in its waters and the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Last week, Moscow’s defence ministry said one of its jets destroyed a Ukrainian “reconnaissance boat” near Russian gas production facilities in the Black Sea.
It later said it also destroyed a US-made speedboat carrying Ukrainian troops east of Snake Island, without providing further detail.
Air raid sirens in Kyiv – emergency services
Air raid sirens are active in Kyiv and other regions in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s emergency services on Telegram.
“In Kiev and the lower regions, the signal “At the alarm” has been announced!”,” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Telegram.
Russian military claims Ukrainian vessels ‘destroyed’ in Black Sea
Russia’s military, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said early on Wednesday that one of its aircraft had destroyed four rapid Ukrainian vessels carrying up to 50 paratroops in an operation on the Black Sea.
Writing on Telegram, the military said:
On August 30, at about 00.00 Moscow time, a naval aviation aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet in the Black Sea destroyed four high-speed military boats with landing groups of servicemen of the Ukrainian special operations forces totaling up to 50 people.
Drones also reportedly downed over Russia’s Bryansk, Orlov and Tula
Russia’s military said on Telegram early on Wednesday it had downed three Ukrainian drones over southern Bryansk region and one over central Orlov region.
There were reports of explosions in Bryansk, as well as the Tula region.
Bellingcat researcher Aric Toyler said online: “About every local Bryansk channel just now wrote, almost simultaneously, that they heard a loud explosion. Similar reports in Tula with reports of drones being fired at.”
The region of Pskov was previously targeted by drones in late May.
In recent weeks Moscow and other Russian regions have been targeted by a barrage of Ukrainian drone attacks after Kyiv vowed this summer to “return” the conflict to Russia.
Planes in Russian city of Pskov hit by drones
A drone attack on the city of Pskov in northwestern Russia has damaged four heavy transport planes, state media reported early on Wednesday, amid reports of explosions in regions south of Moscow.
“The defence ministry is repelling a drone attack in Pskov’s airport,” regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on social media, posting a video of a massive fire, with the sounds of explosions and sirens in the background.
Pskov is located about 800km (nearly 500 miles) from Ukraine’s border and the surrounding region borders EU member states Latvia and Estonia.
In Moscow, news agency Tass reported that airspace above Vnukovo airport closed briefly in response to the attacks on Pskov, before reopening to air traffic.
There were also reportedly explosions in Russia’s Bryansk and Tula regions, according to the investigative news outlet Bellingcat.
There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry on the Pskov attack, but four transport planes were damaged, Tass news agency reported, citing emergency services.
Vedernikov said he was at the scene of the attack. “According to preliminary information, there are no victims,” he said, adding that the scale of the damage was being assessed.
Opening summary
Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. This is Helen Sullivan with the latest.
In breaking news, a drone attack on the city of Pskov in northwestern Russia has damaged four heavy transport planes, state media reported early on Wednesday, amid reports of explosions in regions south of Moscow.
“The defence ministry is repelling a drone attack in Pskov’s airport,” regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on social media, posting a video of a massive fire, with the sounds of explosions and sirens in the background.
Pskov is located about 800km (nearly 500 miles) from Ukraine’s border and the surrounding region borders EU member states Latvia and Estonia.
Separately, Russia’s military said early on Wednesday that one of its aircraft had destroyed four Ukrainian rapid vessels carrying up to 50 paratroops in an operation on the Black Sea.
We’ll have more developments shortly.