This incident coincides with August, historically fraught with crises for Russia, from political upheavals to military conflicts
Photo : REUTERS
Ukraine has launched a long-range drone attack on Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the remote Arkhangelsk region, in what appears to be its deepest strike yet against a Russian military facility. About 40 drones were reported to have headed towards strategic sites in the region. Russian authorities said its air defences had destroyed all of them and that there were no casualties or damage.
Plesetsk is Russia’s main operational military spaceport. It is used to launch military satellites, test intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the Sarmat, and support the development of Russia’s planned rival to the Starlink satellite network, known as Rassvet.
The attack highlights Ukraine’s growing ability to strike targets far from the front line. However, analysts have said the design and location of the facility could limit the potential impact of such an attack.
The reported strike comes during what is traditionally seen in Russia as the period of “Black August”, or the “August curse” – a term used to describe a series of major crises that have occurred in the country during the month.
Thirty-five years ago, Communist hardliners staged a failed coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in August 1991. The attempted putsch accelerated the forces that eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In August 1998, Russia was hit by a financial crisis that led to a default on domestic debt and a collapse in the rouble. A year later, militants led an incursion into Dagestan, helping trigger the Second Chechen War and contributing to the rise of Vladimir Putin.
Putin became Russian president on New Year’s Eve in 1999 after Boris Yeltsin unexpectedly handed over power. But August brought further crises during his presidency. In 2000, the nuclear submarine Kursk sank, killing all 118 sailors on board. In August 2008, Russia went to war with neighbouring Georgia, signalling an increasingly assertive approach to foreign policy.
This August has again proved difficult for the Kremlin.
Russian forces have made limited progress along the front lines in Ukraine, while Ukrainian drone attacks have increasingly targeted infrastructure deep inside Russia, including oil refineries and distribution centres.
The attacks have also contributed to disruption at fuel stations and growing concerns about a possible new wave of mobilisation.
Speaking on Wednesday about infrastructure and development projects, Putin acknowledged the economic damage caused by Ukrainian strikes on e-commerce warehouses, without naming the company Wildberries.
“It goes without saying that these attacks will not have, do not cause and cannot bring about any critical consequences,” he said. “True, they do cause harm – this much is obvious, and we understand this, we see this, and we are aware of it.”
Putin said the damaged logistics facilities would be rebuilt with government support.