Vladimir Putin faced embarrassment on his birthday as a long-range drone strike originating 1,200 miles away targeted Russia. Ukrainian suicide drones struck the city of Tyumen in Siberia, prompting a significant emergency response. Reports indicate that three drones were downed over an industrial site, with visuals showing debris and witnesses recounting explosions and fire truck activity.
Simultaneously, Russia launched missiles towards Ukraine to commemorate Putin’s 73rd birthday on October 7. Ukraine reported the firing of Iskander missiles and over 150 strike drones at their territory, successfully breaching air defenses with two missiles and 52 drones getting through.
This drone attack stands as one of the longest in the ongoing conflict, with a previous strike spanning 1,100 miles in August. Additionally, an assault on the Belaya Air Base in eastern Siberia on June 1, part of Kyiv’s ‘Operation Spiderweb,’ occurred at a distance of 2,700 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Despite reports and visuals from the scene, Russian authorities downplayed the impact of the recent drone attack. Local media sources indicated that three drones were taken down without causing a fire at the unspecified industrial site, missing the Antipinsky oil refinery.
Russia also claimed to have intercepted nearly 200 Ukrainian drones, some allegedly targeting the Krasnodar region where Putin owns luxurious palace residences, resulting in the closure of Sochi airport. Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region was once again a target, following a recent strike on a major Russian explosives manufacturer. Ukrainian strikes were also reported in Moscow, the Kursk region, and Stary Oskol in the Belgorod region.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump hinted at providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, expressing a need for clarity on their usage targets despite warnings from Putin about damaging their relationship. Trump mentioned the missiles’ capability to reach Moscow and St. Petersburg, emphasizing a desire to avoid escalation in the conflict.
Putin had earlier cautioned that supplying such weaponry would have negative consequences on their relations, highlighting the importance of collective decisions in shaping the future outcome of their interactions.