MOSCOW   -   Ukraine targeted the south Russian region of North Ossetia with drones for the first time ever on Saturday, causing minor damage, local authorities said. The drones were aimed at a military airfield near the town of Mozdok, more than 700 kilometres (430 miles) from the frontline, according to North Ossetia governor Sergei Menyailo. “The attack was foiled by the Russian Defence Ministry’s air defence forces. Minor damage and fires were recorded. No one was injured,” Menyailo said.

Three drones were shot down, he added. A source in Kyiv told AFP that Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service was behind the attack. “Today’s drone attack on the airfield in North Ossetia is a special operation of the GUR,” the source in Ukrainian military intelligence said, without elaborating. Social media videos purportedly filmed in the region showed drones flying overhead, while pictures showed what appeared to be drone fragments scattered on the ground. The damage from the attack was unclear, but governor Menyailo urged residents not to share images of the drones online. “All services have been put on high alert. For the safety of citizens, we have decided to cancel all mass events in Mozdoksky district,” he said. Ukraine often targets military and energy facilities on Russian territory in drone attacks, sometimes hundreds of kilometres from the frontline.