LONDON — At least seven Russian territories were targeted by dozens of uncrewed drones on Tuesday, marking a second day of apparent Ukrainian strikes within Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said at least 58 drones were shot down by air defences overnight and into Wednesday morning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two days of attacks on Russian regions were an effort by Ukrainian forces and pro-Ukrainian Russians to prevent the holding of presidential elections. Voting in those elections is scheduled for the coming weekend.
“The main goal, I have no doubt about it, is to, if not disrupt the presidential elections in Russia, then at least somehow interfere with the normal process of expressing the will of citizens,” Putin said on Wednesday.
The drones shot down on Wednesday had targeted locations in Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Ryazan and the Leningrad region, Russian military officials said.
The ministry on Tuesday had said that it had destroyed dozens of other Ukrainian drones in several regions within Russia.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently made a bold claim, alleging that drones attacking Russia are part of Ukrainian election interference efforts. This accusation comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries, with Ukraine gearing up for presidential elections in March.
According to Putin, the drones that have been targeting Russian military installations and infrastructure are part of a larger campaign by Ukraine to destabilize the region and interfere in Russia’s internal affairs. He claims that these attacks are not isolated incidents, but rather a coordinated effort by Ukrainian authorities to sow chaos and create a pretext for further aggression.
The Russian government has provided evidence to support these claims, including intercepted communications and surveillance footage allegedly showing Ukrainian operatives orchestrating the drone attacks. Putin has also pointed to the timing of the attacks, which coincide with key political events in both countries, as further evidence of Ukrainian involvement.
Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied these allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. They argue that Russia is using the drone attacks as a pretext to justify further aggression against Ukraine and undermine its sovereignty.
The accusations made by Putin have raised concerns among international observers, who fear that the situation could escalate into a full-blown conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The United Nations has called for restraint on both sides and urged dialogue to resolve the underlying issues driving the conflict.
As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that tensions between Russia and Ukraine are at a critical juncture. The allegations of election interference through drone attacks only serve to further complicate an already volatile situation. It remains to be seen how both countries will navigate these challenges and whether they can find a peaceful resolution to their longstanding conflict.
