Unmanned aerial vehicles used in attacks on Russian territory, including Moscow, may be launched not from Ukraine, but from certain regions within the Russian Federation. This possibility was raised by Sergey Goncharov, the honorary head of the association of veterans of the anti-terrorism unit Alpha, during a broadcast on Radio 1.
Goncharov expressed doubt about the claim that the drones flew from Ukraine, noting that a distance of 1.5 to 2 thousand kilometers to reach Moscow would be unusual. He suggested that the drones might originate from Ukraine’s security services, pointing to the Moscow region or nearby areas as potential launch sites. The veteran underscored that the aim of such strikes could be to provoke panic and fear among the population, arguing that Ukrainian drones typically do not cause heavy material damage.
During the night of August 30, seven Russian regions experienced drone activity. An Il-76 aircraft caught fire at Pskov airport, and part of the roof of the Investigative Committee building in Bryansk was damaged. The Kremlin indicated that experts were examining the drone routes, while the Russian Foreign Ministry labeled the incidents as terrorist actions.
Earlier reports from Ankara highlighted the appearance of new Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles, underscoring the evolving landscape of aerial warfare and the continued emphasis on drone technology in regional security dynamics.