Multiple drone attacks were reported late on 23 December targeting Millerovo in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, where a strategic military airfield is located, according to local officials and residents.
Acting Governor of Rostov Oblast Yuri Slyusar claimed that air defense systems began engaging aerial targets around 21:00 local time (20:00 Kyiv time or 18:00 UTC).
“Eight UAVs have already been shot down in the Millerovo area,” Slyusar stated around 20:30.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed nine unmanned aerial vehicles over Rostov Oblast between 19:40 and 20:20 Kyiv time, and two more drones over the Sea of Azov around 21:00 Kyiv time.
Local Telegram channels shared videos showing explosions and flashes in the sky, as well as fire on the ground. The extent of any potential damage currently remains unclear.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, stated that a “disco” is taking place in Millerovo. According to him, the base hosts a strategic airfield serving as a base for tactical aviation supporting Russian ground forces operating in eastern and southern Ukraine.
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