Moscow claimed that its military had destroyed a Ukrainian drone at a facility for long-range bombers located deep within Russia on Monday.
According to reports, the drone was flying close to the Engels air base in Russia, which is home to long-range strategic bombers that may have been deployed to attack Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Three air force members were killed in the event, according to a statement from the Russian defense ministry, but no planes were damaged.
However, other drones were reportedly destroyed, according to social media posts in Russia and Ukraine.
The second strike this month targeted the Engels air base, which is close to Saratov, approximately 730 kilometres southeast of Moscow, and hundreds of miles away from the front lines in Ukraine.
It had earlier been struck on December 5 in what Russia claimed were drone assaults by Ukraine on two Russian air sites that day.
The air base is one of two strategic bomber bases where Russia’s nuclear capabilities for air delivery is housed. Kyiv, which has never openly claimed responsibility for assaults inside of Russia, made no comments.
“A Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region,” the Russian defense ministry statement said.
According to the report, falling drone debris claimed the lives of three Russian personnel. Russia possesses between 60 and 70 strategic bombers of the Tu-95MS Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack variants. Both have the capacity to transport conventional weapons as well as nuclear bombs and cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
In attacks that Kiev has deemed to be war crimes, Moscow has employed its air force to launch cruise missiles.