This is the dramatic moment a Ukrainian aircraft-style drone explodes after flying into a Russian special forces base more than 700 miles from the front line.
Several drones reportedly struck the OMON police unit in Grozny, and a base from where troops are sent to fight against Ukraine. Â
Loud explosions were reported in the city, which is the capital of Chechnya, a region headed by Putin warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, who has sent tens of thousands of troops to the war.
Shooting was heard in attempts to down the pilotless plane loaded with explosives, but there appeared a lack of air defences against the slow-moving incoming drones.
It is the third strike on the city in just 11 days.
The extent of damage and any toll was not immediately known.
It came soon after Vladimir Putin, 72, had awarded Kadyrov, 48, a ‘For Services to the Fatherland’ honour in an unannounced but secretly-filmed Kremlin ceremony when other top officials loyal to the dictator also received gongs.
Kadyrov – who holds the rank of colonel-general in the Russian national guard – had demanded better air defence protection for his capital.
Several drones reportedly struck the OMON police unit in Grozny, and a base from where troops are sent to fight against Ukraine
 Shooting was heard in attempts to down the pilotless plane loaded with explosives
The aircraft-style drone burst into flames after hitting the facility
The incident took place in Grozny, more than 700 miles from the front line
Vladimir Putin, 72, right, had awarded Ramzan Kadyrov, 48, left, a ‘For Services to the Fatherland’ honour in an unannounced but secretly-filmed Kremlin ceremony
Kadyrov has been widely sanctioned by the West for human rights abuses as well as his support to Putin over the war.
He previously threatened to place Ukrainian prisoners of war on rooftops of strategic buildings to discourage attacks by Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces.
A new investigation by Proekt independent media found that Kadyrov has tripled the size of what amounts to his own private army.
No less than nine new paramilitary units have been established since the start of the war.
No other regional leader in Russia is allowed to maintain their own private army.
During the 2023 coup against the Kremlin regime attempted by once-loyal Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Kadyrov’s forces – known as ‘Kadyrovtsy’ – were mobilised to back Putin.
There have been claims that in the event of Putin’s death, or political demise, Kadyrov could seek to use his forces in a bid to declare landlocked Chechnya an independent state.
The thuggish Chechen ruler – aka The Don – has packed the government in Grozny with his extended family, and other loyalists.
A father of 15 from at least three polygamous wives, Kadyrov was earlier this year reported to be seriously ill when he weight ballooned but lately he has appeared in stronger health.
The preside regional leader this weekend demanded the closure of beauty salons in Chechnya because their advertisements contained allegedly unacceptable images of women’s bodies.
‘Beauty salons are posting photos where female models are showing body parts that should not be shown,’ he said.