BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Ukrainian kamikaze drone crashes EAST of Moscow – while another punches through Putin’s defences in occupied Crimea
THE wreckage of a suspected Ukrainian drone has been discovered just miles from the Russian capital in a potentially major new danger to Russia.
Pictures show the remains of the military drone near to the Russian town of Noginsk, just 32 miles east of the Kremlin in the centre of Moscow.
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It is believed that the suspected Ukrainian UJ-22 drone either overflew or was circumnavigating the capital.
The drone was reportedly discovered by a local woman, 35, who went into the woods to bury her dead kitten.
Police said it was stuffed with 17kg of Canadian M112 explosive charges.
Explosive experts worked at the site for five hours to make safe the explosives, according to reports on Russian state media.
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Its location is closer to Moscow than any previously disclosed Ukrainian attack drone.
The drone appears to have evaded the capital's air defences which have been massively strengthened in recent weeks.
It may have crashed among trees after running out of fuel, according to Russian sources, although its supposed flight route and target are unclear.
If proven to be a Ukrainian military drone, it would confirm Russian fears that Moscow is vulnerable, despite the huge deployment of air defences around the city.
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So far, the capital has not been hit by Ukrainian aerial attacks since the start of Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
It came as another military drone struck an oil depot in Rovenky, in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, triggering an explosion.
Video showed flames erupting from the facility as firefighters tackled the blaze.
The news follows reports that Ukraine is preparing for a major strike to retake Crimea and humiliate Vladimir Putin.
Moscow is around 280 miles from the closest point in Ukraine in a straight line.
Elsewhere, the Russian border region Belgorod yesterday reported at least four drone strikes on its territory.
One person was wounded in one of the attacks.
Belgorod was the site of recent suspected Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian power stations.
Reports said parts of Belgorod city - which has a population of 340,000 - suffered blackouts after a targeted strike on a crucial substation in the suburb of Igumenka.
Another in the village of Dragunskoe some six miles northwest of the city centre was hit, according to Baza media outlet which has close links to law enforcement.
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Last month, Putin accused Ukrainian saboteurs of being behind hostage-taking in the Bryansk region of Russia, despite footage showing it was carried out by flag-waving Russian opposition figures.
The tyrant said in a televised address: "Our soldiers and officers protect against neo-Nazis and terrorists, those who today committed another terrorist attack, penetrated the border area and opened fire on civilians."
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