Several Ukrainian drones have been shot down near the Russian city of Kursk, regional governor Roman Starovoyt said in the early hours of Friday.
Starovoyt urged residents to stay calm, adding that the capital of the region that shares a border with Ukraine was “under the firm protection of our military.”
The governor’s statement came shortly after several Telegram channels reported that explosions were heard over the city. The channel Mash posted an unverified video appearing to show an air defense system firing a missile into the sky.
Russia’s border regions have frequently come under artillery and rocket fire, as well as drone attacks, ever since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
Raids have also been launched into Russian territory. On Tuesday, drones carrying explosives crashed into several high-rise residential buildings in Moscow. No one was killed, while two civilians suffered minor injuries. According to Russian officials, Kiev conducted the attack in order to sow fear and confusion among the population.
On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had repelled an armed incursion from Ukraine into Belgorod Region.
Units in Kiev's service, allegedly made up of Russian nationalist volunteers, claimed responsibility for similar cross-border raids on Belgorod Region in mid-May, and Bryansk Region in early March.