Updated: Ukraine hits Russian naval base in Dagestan for first time, source says

Editor's note: The article was updated with additional details from the Kyiv Independent's sources.

Ukraine's military intelligence was behind a drone attack against the city of Kaspiysk in Russia's Dagestan Republic, targeting a Russian naval base, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 6.

At least two vessels – missile ships Tatarstan and Dagestan – were damaged in the attack, and possibly also several small Project 21631 ships, sources said.

Dagestan authorities reported intercepting a drone attack over Kaspiysk, a port city at the Caspian Sea around 1,000 kilometers from the front line (600 miles), on the morning of Nov. 6.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation center at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, also said on Telegram that a Russian naval base was hit in the attack.

"Russian Navy ships are stationed in Kaspiysk," he said. The base is home to Russia's Caspian Flotilla, as well as Russian Marines and Coastal Troops.

Sources said that the targeted fleet was involved in strikes against Ukraine, and the 177th Marine Regiment stationed there was deployed in combat in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

While Russian authorities claimed to have intercepted a single drone in the skies, a video shared on social media appears to show another drone hitting its target, resulting in a large 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.

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

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.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek