“We are all afraid,” says witness of Ukrainian drone attack in Arctic Russia
By Atle Staalesen, Georgii Chentemirov
Locals in an arctic Russian town that has sent dozens of deadly bombing raids over Ukrainian towns and civilian infrastructure now themselves feel a sense of terror.
“I could hear yesterday that something exploded, and that’s it,” an employee in a local company told the Barents Observer. “There were clearly two blasts, and then I could read in social media about the drones,” the man says on the telephone. He confirms that there were no air alarm ahead of the attack.
The Russian version of the Barents Observer has talked with several locals from Olenegorsk about the recent Ukrainian drone attack against Olenya, the nearby airbase.
“I could hear the blasts yesterday morning, beyond that I have no information,” a woman working in a local hair salon says.
“I do not watch news and I am not interested in politics. I do not understand anything of if. Well, I do understand what is happening in the country, but since my nerve system is rather shaky I try not to get engaged,” the woman adds. Also she confirms that there were no air alarm in the town.
Near important airfield
Olenegorsk is located only few kilometres from the strategically important air field of Olenya, from where Russia repeatedly sends bombers on deadly bombing raids against Ukrainian towns. Over the past months, the base has several times been targeted by Ukrainian drones. This week alone there has been at least two attacks.
“My husband says that we have to run to the shelter in case of an air alarm. We are all terrified,” another local woman says.
“And what is happening in the country is terrible for the children,” she adds. She did not herself hear the blasts, but says she has several friends that heard them.
There are also several comments on social media about the recent attacks.
“It is right that there were two major explosions over our town yesterday,” a woman with the name Anna writes in one of the local media.
“The walls were shaking and the cars in the yard got their theft alarm activated,” she says.
“Now it [the war] has come also to us,” the woman writes.
Regional governor reports several drones shot down
In the same social media group a man from Murmansk says he has information from Vysoky, the small military town located near Olenya, that school kids were taken down to the school basement during the attack.
The Barents Observer called the school director, but she refused to comment on the situation.
This week’s drone attacks on the Kola Peninsula come after similar strikes in late August and late July. In the latter, a bomber Tu-22 was reportedly hit and damaged.
According to regional Governor Andrei Chibis, air defence systems on Wednesday shot down three drones. On Thursday, another two drones were reportedly shot down. According to several news reports, the drones were 7 km from the airbase when shot down.
Olenegorsk is located more than 1,800 km from Ukraine. The attacks are believed to be carried out with the Ukrainian-made ultralight aircraft Aeroprak A-22 Foxbat.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada pledges billions for defence, falls short of NATO’s 2%, CBC News
Denmark: Denmark’s Arctic, North Atlantic focus: Canada among new defence attaché posts, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Military exercise apparently disrupts weather images from Lapland, Yle News
Iceland: RAF Squadron begins NATO airspace patrols in Iceland, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Against Russian aggression: Norway signs security agreement with Ukraine, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Murmansk region of Arctic Russia targeted in drone attack, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: US Army sends heavy equipment to Arctic Norwegian port for transfer to Finland, The Independent Barents Observer
