Ukrainian warplanes have destroyed a Russian drone launch site inside the Kursk region, killing up to 20 military personnel in what Kyiv described as a direct response to Kremlin aggression. The airstrike, carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force, hit a key UAV base near the village of Tetkino, just across the border from Ukraine’s Sumy region, said the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The attack, on April 19, was confirmed in a statement on Saturday morning, saying the site had been used to launch reconnaissance, combat and FPV (first-person view) drones against Ukrainian targets. The statement said: “On April 19, 2025, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a successful strike on an enemy UAV launch site near the settlement of Tetkino, Kursk region. “The facility was used by the enemy to launch reconnaissance, strike, and FPV drones.

"As a result of the strike, up to 20 UAV operators were eliminated.

“This strike of ours is a tangible response to the enemy's actions against the Ukrainian army.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to destroy elements of enemy military infrastructure until a just peace will be achieved. No war crime will go unpunished.”

Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry, likewise referred to the raid on social media.

He added: “The site was used to prepare and launch reconnaissance, combat and FPV drones. Up to 20 Russian drone operators were eliminated in the strike.”

The strike comes amid growing concern in Ukraine about Russia’s use of drone warfare, especially the use of low-cost FPV units to target frontline troops and civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that Russia’s drone fleet, backed by cheap Iranian technology and domestic production, has become a critical component of the Kremlin’s battlefield strategy.

The latest strike also follows a series of Ukrainian attacks on military and energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, including strikes earlier this month on oil refineries in Tatarstan and Smolensk.

Kyiv rarely comments on cross-border operations, but military intelligence has previously confirmed responsibility for similar drone and missile strikes.

Tetkino, the target of the April 19 strike, lies barely a mile from the Ukrainian border and has previously been used by Russian forces as a launch point for cross-border operations.

Russian military bloggers acknowledged the Ukrainian strike on Saturday morning, with some confirming casualties but offering no precise figures.

There was no immediate response from Russia’s Ministry of Defence.

The attack appears to be the latest example of Ukraine’s intent to push the war beyond its own borders in a bid to disrupt Russia’s ability to wage war, and in particular to degrade the Kremlin’s growing drone threat.