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What the 29 August 2023 Pskov drone strike showed
Summary
A look back at a day of reported drone attacks on western Russia, with warnings over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant the day before.
What happened on 29 August 2023, when drones reached the Russian city of Pskov? At least four Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft were damaged there in a drone attack, as reported at the time.
Russian authorities said they had shot down eight drones over the Bryansk, Oryol, Ryazan, Kaluga and Moscow oblasts. The list of regions showed how widely the reported attacks were spread across western Russia.
Crimea and the nuclear plant
The previous day, 28 August 2023, Russia said it had shot down two aerial drones over the north and west of Crimea.
On the same date, the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that Ukraine's offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast had increased the risk of damage to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The warning linked the fighting on the ground to nuclear safety.
Taken together, the reports from 28 and 29 August 2023 described drone activity over Russian-held and Russian territory alongside concern about the plant as the counteroffensive continued in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
