Russian sources reported the closure of two airports and mass evacuations of employees in Tatarstan following the sighting of Ukrainian drones on Thursday, May 23. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that their air defense systems successfully shot down a Ukrainian drone over the region. Ukrainian sources, however, reported that their drones struck multiple targets, including military production facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that their anti-aircraft systems intercepted and destroyed a Ukrainian drone over Tatarstan at approximately 2:00 p.m. Moscow time. This incident led to flight restrictions at the airports in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk. Rustem Nuriyev, mayor of Yelabuga, reported that the drone was downed over the Yelabuga district, with no reported damage.
⚡️Flight of a kamikaze drone based on the A-22 Foxbat over 🇷🇺Tatarstan
Evacuation was announced at the oil refineries of the republic pic.twitter.com/W19IIa1soc
— 🇺🇦Ukrainian Front (@front_ukrainian) May 23, 2024
Contrary to Russian claims, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) stated to the Kyiv Post that their drones successfully struck several military equipment production facilities in Tatarstan. This operation was reportedly part of Ukraine’s Heroes’ Day celebrations, highlighting their ability to conduct long-range strikes deep within Russian territory.
In response to the drone threats, mass evacuations were conducted at key industrial sites, including two oil refineries and one polymer factory. Regional news outlet 7×7 reported that employees from the Taneco oil refinery, Orgsintez plant, Taif-NK, and other enterprises were evacuated as a precaution. Video footage shared on social media showed a plume of smoke over a wooded area, with alarms and shouting in the background.
I’ve only just seen that the video from #Tatarstan didn’t load on this tweet earlier.https://t.co/IShXWMKyiL pic.twitter.com/aaspj6Jfef
— Tim White (@TWMCLtd) May 23, 2024
On May 15, similar measures were taken when the airports in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk were closed after another Ukrainian drone was downed by Russian air defenses. This incident was part of a broader Ukrainian offensive that included strikes on a fuel depot in the Rostov region and an ATACMS missile strike on the Belbek military airfield near Sevastopol.
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