Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian drone as it approached an airbase in southern Russia, with debris from the aircraft killing three people on the ground, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.

This is the second attack in a month against this base located more than 600 km from Ukraine.

“On December 26, at approximately 01:35 a.m. Moscow time (22:35 GMT), a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down at low altitude as it approached the Engels military airfield in the region. of Saratov,” reported the TASS news agency citing the Defense Ministry.

“Following the fall of the wreckage of the drone, three Russian technicians who were on the airfield were fatally injured”.

According to the Defense Ministry, quoted by TASS, no aircraft were hit.

On December 5, Moscow accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks against the Engels base and another in the Ryazan region.

Saratov Region Governor Roman Busargin reassured people on social media, saying there was "absolutely no threat" to the region's residents and that no civilian infrastructure had been damaged. been damaged.

He also warned them against spreading "false information", recalling the draconian laws adopted after the start of the military offensive in Ukraine at the end of February.

"All the stories about the evacuation of the city are blatant lies, fabricated far from the borders of our country," he assured.

Kyiv did not comment.

Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out several drone attacks against its territory and against annexed Crimea, including a "massive" one in late October, against the Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.

The attacks against the Engels base are those launched the deepest into Russian territory since the start of the offensive in Ukraine.