Explosions and Drone Strikes Rock Russian Military Airfield in Tver Overnight

Explosions and air defense activity rocked the Tver region overnight Sunday, May 25, as drones targeted the Migalovo military airfield and a nearby military unit.

Governor Igor Rudenya said around five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were shot down near the Migalovo district. The explosions began around 2:30 a.m., with Russian air defenses engaging the drones throughout the night.

“There are no casualties or damage. Further monitoring of the situation continues,” Rudenya said.

An anonymous Russian military blogger on Telegram, VChK-OGPU, claimed a “massive attack” on the military airfield prompted the evacuation of planes. Videos showed air defense fire lighting up the sky, and reports indicated a Russian Tu-160 bomber narrowly avoided being hit.

Eyewitnesses also reported a strong fire near the airfield and an adjacent military unit after the drone strike, though officials have not confirmed damage.

The Migalovo airfield hosts the 196th Military Transport Aviation Regiment and the JSC State Airline 224 Flight Detachment, both tied to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The airline unit faces international sanctions for alleged links to the Wagner private military company.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down 13 drones during the attack.

This incident comes as Russia launched one of its heaviest attacks on Ukraine the same night, firing 266 drones and 45 missiles that killed 12 people.

Other Topics of Interest

Romania Wants to Boost Air Defence After Drone Strike Blamed on Russia

Romania’s foreign minister said the country must strengthen air defence with NATO support after a drone strike near its Ukraine border injured two people. While not confirming intent, she blamed Russia for responsibility. Bucharest is seeking short-term NATO help and joint anti-drone cooperation with Kyiv amid repeated drone incursions.

Recent weeks have seen multiple drone strikes across Russia, including attacks on factories and a chemical plant in the Tula region, and strikes on the Energia plant in Lipetsk, a key defence industry site.

From Wednesday till Friday, more than 750 explosive-carrying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were dispatched from Ukraine-controlled territory to attack targets across western Russia.

Some Ukrainian drones safely transited more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) of Russian air space – distances comparable to Milan-Berlin or London-Zurich – before their terminal attack phase.

The independent Astra news agency citing military sources on Friday morning said that between May 20-23 May a total of 756 Ukrainian drones had penetrated Russian air space.

“Temporary” suspensions of civilian airline operations were put into effect on Friday in Vladimir, Kaluga, Kostroma, Tambov, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod, as well at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky airports.