A major explosion southeast of Moscow may have been caused by an incoming Ukraine drone targeting a key Russian hypersonic missile plant, it is suspected.
The “aerial blast” in Kolomna, if confirmed, will cause further alarm over failing Vladimir Putin’s defences.
"The explosion occurred in the air. With a high degree of probability, it was a drone,” said a law enforcement source in the city, just 70 miles from Moscow.
“However, one cannot be sure of that, since no fragments have yet been found.”
Kolomna is home to Russia’s Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, a defence plant that developed both Kinshal hypersonic missiles and the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile, as stressed by the Ukrainian media in reporting the incident.
Both missile types have been deployed with deadly results in Ukraine by Putin’s forces.
The plant also makes anti-aircraft defence systems and anti-tank missiles.
Russian paratroopers are stationed there, too.
The area was evidently targeted earlier this week when debris of a “foreign drone packed with explosives” was found in a snowy field near Gubastovo village, some 60 miles from Moscow, and seven miles from Kolomna.
In the latest incident, witnesses said a "loud whiz” was heard before the blast, which was followed by smoke and a glow.
One witness said: “A whistling could be heard about 10 minutes ago, then an explosion….”
There was “smoke” and then a “glow”.
"Law enforcement officers, emergencies ministry’s employees have been sent to the site to check these reports,” said a law enforcement spokesman.
A search for wreckage was underway.
After the downed drone on Tuesday, an enraged leading Putin propagandist hit out in a state TV rant over the failure to stop incoming drones, implying it indicated Russia was “losing” the war.
His dacha - or country house - is in the vicinity.
Anton Krasovsky told viewers: “Ukrainian drones are here…in Kolomna, next to my country house.
“Right there above my house flies a Ukrainian drone, able to carry 15 combat grenades.
“And it can throw them right at my house, and my neighbours .
“And this is happening now all around our country.
“I won’t even ask about our air defence, what, where, they were looking at, and thinking about?
“Why didn’t they get ready, or who is losing ‘the war’?”
He vowed to go for sniper lessons so he could his home and neighbours.
