Prigozhin Buried in Russia Following Ukrainian Drone Strikes in 6 Russian Regions

Ukrainian drones struck targets in at least six regions deep within Russia on Wednesday, including an airfield where they destroyed military transport planes.

Russian officials described attacks on targets in the Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan, and Moscow regions. The Russian foreign ministry said the attacks would “not go unpunished” and the drones could not have reached so far into Russian territory without Western help.

In northern Russia, more than 600 km (400 miles) from Ukraine, a huge fire erupted at a military airfield in the city of Pskov, where elite paratroopers are garrisoned. Tass news agency reported at least four giant Il-76 transport planes were damaged, two of which had “burst into flames.”

The attacks coincided with Russia’s most severe air strikes on Ukraine’s capital for months. Authorities in Kyiv reported at least two people had been killed as debris from intercepted missiles fell in four locations.

Reuters captured footage of a fireball falling out of the night sky close to a supermarket, detonating in a huge explosion that lit up nearby apartment blocks. Moscow said it hit command and intelligence targets.

In Russia, the governor of Pskov posted video on Telegram showing a huge fire with the sounds of sirens and an explosion at the air base. Other video posted online showed anti-aircraft systems in action around the city, which is just 32 km (20 miles) east of Russia’s border with NATO-member Estonia.

Moscow said it had thwarted all the attacks on Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was working out where the drones were launched from to prevent further strikes. President Vladimir Putin had been informed immediately, as would be the case in any such “massive attacks,” Mr. Peskov said.

Kyiv confirmed the Russian planes had been destroyed in Pskov, without commenting on the nature of the incident.

Among the other attacks in Russia, Moscow said Ukrainian drones had tried to attack a TV tower over the Bryansk region. No casualties were reported.

Moscow also said its aircraft had destroyed four Ukrainian fast-attack boats carrying up to 50 paratroopers on the Black Sea and its forces had repelled attacks by enemy drones.

Ukraine claimed its air defences had shot down 28 Russian missiles and 15 out of 16 drones fired overnight.

“Kyiv has not experienced such a powerful attack since spring. The enemy launched a massive, combined attack using drones and missiles,” Serhiy Popko, the head of the city’s military administration, said on Telegram.

Ukrainian forces have been conducting a summer offensive for nearly three months. They have yet to achieve a breakthrough of Russia’s heavily mined and fortified defenses, although they said in the past week they had finally penetrated the first main defensive line.

Prigozhin Buried

On the outskirts of St Petersburg, followers of Yevgeny Prigozhin, boss of Russia’s Wagner army, paid tribute at a leafy cemetery where he was buried six days after being killed in a plane crash.

The Kremlin said foul play was one of the causes being investigated for the crash.

“It is obvious that different versions are being considered, including the version—you know what we are talking about—let’s say, a deliberate atrocity,” Kremlin spokesman Mr. Peskov said.

Mr. Prigozhin, two top Wagner lieutenants and four bodyguards were among 10 people who died when his private jet crashed on Aug. 23, two months after Wagner marched on Moscow in a brief mutiny.

The Kremlin has rejected as an “absolute lie” Western suggestions that Mr. Putin was responsible.