Russian Intelligence Reports Seizure of 24 AI-Equipped Drones Near Two Airfields

Russian intelligence said Monday it halted two Ukrainian drone operations targeting airfields hundreds of miles from the border. The FSB stated the drones reached the sites after fixed-wing drones and balloons dropped smaller units in one region, then trailers with false bottoms carried them farther inland under loads of household appliances.

Officials said the drones were assembled in garages near the targets and carried 1 kilogram of explosives each, plus fragmentation balls and mixed incendiary, anti-armor, and high-explosive payloads. The agency reported seizing two ground control stations fitted with 250-gram self-destruct charges and communications devices used to contact handlers.

The reported method resembles an earlier Ukrainian operation that used trucks to position drones near Russian airfields, resulting in damage to dozens of aircraft. Ukraine's intelligence service and defense ministry did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.