News Feed

Russia's Dagestan claims to intercept drone, airport halts flights

2 min read
Russia's Dagestan claims to intercept drone, airport halts flights
A screenshot of a video that purports to show a drone shot down over Kaspiysk, Dagestan, Russia, on Nov. 6, 2024. (Mash/Telegram)

Russian air defenses shot down a drone over the city of Kaspiysk in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan on the morning of Nov. 6, the republic's head reported.

"The circumstances of the incident are being investigated," the regional chief, Sergey Melikov, said on his Telegram channel.

The downing of a drone in Dagestan comes shortly after an unprecedented drone strike against a Russian military academy in neighboring Chechnya on Oct. 29.

While Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov blamed the Chechnya drone strike on Ukraine, a Ukrainian intelligence source said that the incident might have been a result of a feud between Kadyrov and officials from Dagestan and Ingushetia.

A video shared by Russian Telegram channels purports to show a drone exploding over Kaspiysk at 6:55 a.m. local time. Local residents reported hearing gunfire and a loud explosion.

The incident took place roughly 15 kilometers from a local airport, the Mash news channel claimed, identifying the drone as a Ukrainian A-22 Flying Fox drone. A girl was reportedly injured as a result.

The nearby Makhachkala airport has suspended operations for an indefinite period due to the incident, local authorities said.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the incident. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Drone strike on Chechnya possibly launched from Dagestan, Ingushetia, source claims
One of the most likely versions explaining the incident links the attack to the deadly shooting in the Moscow office of the Russian online retailer Wildberries in September and a conflict between Kadyrov and lawmakers from the neighboring Caucasus republics, the source said.
Avatar
Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

Read more
News Feed

By infiltrating Ukrainian positions in small infantry groups, Russia has accumulated around 200 troops within Pokrovsk, the General Staff reported. These personnel are engaging in "intense" small arms and drone clashes with Ukrainian troops in the city.

While Ukraine also lacks Western-supplied weapons, soldiers and commanders say shortages of basics — cars, drones and people — make holding back Russia extremely difficult. Even as Kyiv seeks U.S. approval for Tomahawks, they say critical, rudimentary gear is the more pressing need.

Russia faces an increase in the arson and “spontaneous combustion” of electrical panels, railway relay cabinets, and other infrastructure helping Moscow wage its war against Ukraine over the past week, a source at Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent.

Video

The episode covers Russian war crimes in Pokrovsk and continued attacks on Ukrainian cities, including missile strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv. While Moscow continues to reject a ceasefire with Ukraine, has President Trump finally shifted his approach to Russia?

Show More