Drone attack over airport in northwestern Russia: official

A drone attack was repelled by the Russian military on an airport located in the northwestern city of Pskov, said the regional governor early on Wednesday (August 30). No immediate comment was made by the defence ministry, however, reports surfaced of four heavy transport planes reportedly getting damaged.

Pskov is located around 800 kilometres (nearly 500 miles) from the border of Ukraine and the surrounding region borders of EU member states Estonia and Latvia.

"The defence ministry is repelling a drone attack in Pskov's airport," said regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov, taking to social media and sharing a video of massive fire with the sounds of sirens and explosions in the background.

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Vedernikov stated that he was present at the scene of the drone attack. "According to preliminary information, there are no victims," he said, further assessing the scale of the damage.

Citing emergency services, state news agency TASS said that four Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport planes had suffered damages.

TASS, citing air traffic services, stated that the authorities have closed the airspace above Moscow's Vnukovo airport. Previously, the region of Pskov was targeted by drones in late May. In the last few weeks, a barrage of Ukrainian drone attacks have targeted Moscow and other Russian regions after Kyiv recently vowed to "return" the conflict to Russia.

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Four Ukrainian military boats carrying troops in Black Sea destroyed

Russia said that fourUkrainian boats, which were carrying around50 troops in the Black Sea, were destroyed by its forces.

An aircraft "destroyed four high-speed military boats with landing groups of Ukrainian special operations forces with a total number of up to 50 people" in the Black Sea around midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT), said Russia's defence ministry in a statement on Telegram.

Four killed in war-related incidents in Ukraine

At least four people were killed in incidents related to the ongoing war in Ukraine on Tuesday (August 29), officials stated.

Governor of southern Kherson region Oleksander Prokudin stated that three people died in explosions caused by the mines and other devices in fields, which were left behind by Russian troops after the region was abandoned last November.

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A 45-year-old civilian was killed in the Russian shelling in the northeast town of Kupiansk, said local officials, as forces of Moscow try to advance in the area.

US announces new military aid for Ukraine

The United States announced a new military assistance package worth $250 million for Ukraine on Tuesday which includes equipment for clearing obstacles and mines.

The assistance will "help Ukraine counter Russia's ongoing war of aggression on the battlefield and protect its people," said the Pentagon, in a statement.

The package also included air defence missiles, artillery rounds, anti-armour missiles and around three million rounds of small arms ammunition.

"I am grateful to all American people, the Congress and personally to President Joseph Biden... for the new defence package,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X. "Freedom needs protection, and this protection is growing strong," he added.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

(With inputs from agencies)

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