Ukraine targets Russia's Murmansk with drones in unprecedented strike

Ukrainian drones have launched an attack on Russia's Murmansk region for the first time.

The region's governor, Andrei Chibis, announced the unprecedented development which was confirmed by Russian media sources, Caliber.Az reports.

Military correspondents have confirmed that the drones reached the village of Vysokiy in the northern part of the region. This location is significant due to its proximity to the Olenya military airfield, which houses strategic missile carriers, including the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3.

This attack marks a new record in terms of range since the beginning of the war, as the drones covered a distance of 1,850 kilometres from the Ukrainian border to Vysokiy. The previous record was set in May when Ukrainian forces targeted Orsk in the Orenburg region, 1,800 kilometres away, where the Voronezh early warning radar station is located. Before that, the farthest target was in Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan, 1,660 kilometres from the border.

According to reports from "Mash", the drone that attacked the Murmansk region might have originated from Chernihiv. The same model, the A22 "Flying Fox," was reportedly sighted in the area the day before the attack. In response, airspace restrictions were imposed at Murmansk and Apatit airports.

"Military Informant" suggests that the drone travelled approximately 2,000 kilometres, including an indirect route, which exposed significant vulnerabilities in the Russian air defence system. The drone's ability to navigate such a vast distance was attributed to a well-planned route that exploited gaps in air defence coverage and radar operations.