Russia Rocked by Simultaneous Drone Attacks, Videos Show

Russia was struck by drone strikes in at least two different regions early on Sunday, Moscow's Defense Ministry has said, as videos circulating online on Sunday seem to show uncrewed aircraft-type drones soaring over Russian soil.

One clip, reportedly filmed in Russia's Smolensk region, appears to show an explosion as a drone dips from view.

Newsweek could not independently verify when or where the footage was filmed, and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Moscow said on Sunday that Ukraine had launched a spate of drone attacks on Russian territory, but insisted the country's air defenses had intercepted the uncrewed vehicles.

Ukraine targeted Russia's Krasnodar region with an "aircraft-type" drone at around 8 a.m. Moscow time on Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry said. Six planes scheduled to arrive at Sochi airport, on the Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar region, were diverted to alternative airfields because of the drone, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

Telegram channel "Shot" reported that a Turkish-made Bayraktar fixed-wing drone was used in the strike on Krasnodar, although Newsweek could not independently verify this.

Just an hour later, three more UAVs were destroyed by air defenses over the Smolensk region, which borders Russia's staunch ally, Belarus, Moscow said.

At 10 a.m. Moscow time, air defenses intercepted a further two Ukrainian drones over Smolensk, the Kremlin later said.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces have tried to carry out several terrorist attacks on the Smolensk region using UAVs," Smolensk Regional Governor Vasily Anokhin said on Sunday.

"In total, five aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were suppressed by air defense and electronic warfare forces of the Ministry of Defense over Smolensk and its suburbs," he said in a post on Telegram. Anokhin said that there was no damage or casualties from the drone attack.

Russian state media have also reported a UAV over Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, although the Russian Defense Ministry has not provided an update on this.

Ukraine has frequently launched unmanned vehicle strikes on Russian territory. Drone strikes launched by Ukraine have repeatedly reached Moscow, bringing the gruelling war in Ukraine closer to home for many Russians.

As well as sending drones to the Russian capital, Ukraine has often used unmanned vehicles to target key Russian military bases, including airfields in Russia and Russian-held territory housing aircraft used to launch strikes on Ukraine.

Update 10/1/23 at 7:12 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.