(FiveNation.com)- After three airbases saw explosions this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened his security council to assess the nation’s internal defenses.
The Kremlin did not disclose the meeting’s specifics but stated that Russian officials sought to strengthen the nation’s internal security.
Reports reveal the conference happened just hours after a third airbase was attacked in the Russian city of Kursk, north of the Ukrainian border, and one day after explosions were reported at two different airbases hundreds of miles inside Russian territory.
The regional governor of Kursk stated that an oil storage tank had been set on fire, although no casualties had yet been reported.
The most recent explosion follows reported drone strikes Monday on Russia’s Engels Airbase in the southeastern Saratov region and at the Dyagilyaevo airfield near the city of Ryazan, 125 miles from Moscow.
According to Russian news outlets, the Russian military ministry blamed Ukraine, although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.
At least two Tu-95 BEAR heavy bombers were apparently damaged, and three persons were reportedly killed in the explosions.
The U.K Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday that the cause of the explosions has not yet been determined, but if Russia decides that the attacks were intentional, Moscow will likely consider them the most significant force protection failures since it invaded Ukraine nine months ago.
The Russian chain of command would likely seek to identify and apply severe punishment to Russian officials deemed guilty of allowing the incident.
Reports show at least nine jets were destroyed in a separate explosion at the Novofedorivka airport in Crimea, barely weeks after a similar explosion struck the Black Sea fleet’s naval headquarters.
It is unclear whether Ukraine attacked either base in August, while Russia attempted to minimize both occurrences by stating that one resulted from a downed drone and an unintentional explosion of weapons caused the other.
The military ministry stated that Russia would likely retaliate by spreading its nuclear deterrent aircraft to several airfields throughout the country.
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