Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses intercepted 158 Ukrainian drones overnight on April 9, targeting occupied Crimea and several Russian regions, including North Ossetia—an area nearly 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
According to independent Telegram channel Astra, one of the main targets was a military airfield in Mozdok. This base is known for hosting MiG-31K jets equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Social media posts showed smoke near the area, and Astra said it had geolocated one image to a site about six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the airfield.
However, Russian authorities did not confirm any direct strike on the airfield. Sergey Menyaylo, head of the region, said air defenses had successfully “repelled” the attack in the Mozdok district. He also reported that there were no casualties or visible damage, although a drone alert had been issued.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims, and the Ukrainian military has not yet made any official comment on the attacks.
Explosions were also reported in other parts of Russia, including Taganrog in Rostov Oblast, and the towns of Tikhoretsk, Sloviansk-on-Kuban, Krymsk, Saratov, and Engels. Russian media and local officials confirmed these reports.
Airports in Vladikavkaz and Grozny—the capitals of North Ossetia and Chechnya—were temporarily closed due to the drone activity.
North Ossetia, located in southern Russia along the Caucasus Mountains, borders Georgia and lies far from the front lines of the war.
Ukraine has repeatedly used long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, often aiming for military and industrial targets. On March 20, Ukraine confirmed a successful drone strike on the Engels-2 airbase in Saratov Oblast.
