Ukrainian Drone Strikes Close to Kadyrov’s Residence: High-Rise in Grozny Damaged

A suspected drone strike by Ukraine caused damage to a high-rise building in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, early on Friday morning. This incident appears to be one of the closest attacks to the residence of regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov, as reported by various media outlets.

Footage shared on Telegram channels displayed shattered windows and burned areas across multiple floors of the 28-story Business Center Grozny-City tower.

This structure is part of Grozny City, a series of skyscrapers symbolizing the postwar recovery of the Chechen republic, and it hosts several regional government offices, including the Chechen Security Council and departments related to tourism and religious affairs.

The tower is situated approximately 830 meters (about 2,700 feet) from Kadyrov’s residence in central Grozny, according to the investigative outlet Agentstvo.

In the early hours of Friday, civil aviation authorities implemented temporary flight restrictions at airports in Grozny and several surrounding cities.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not indicate that Chechnya was among the areas where air defenses had intercepted Ukrainian drones overnight. Chechen officials have yet to provide any statements regarding the alleged drone strike.

The Moscow Times was unable to verify the authenticity of the videos or confirm that a drone was responsible for the destruction.

If validated, this would mark the third reported instance of a drone attack in Chechnya within the week, following a November 27 strike on a military facility in Grozny and another on an FSB building on Tuesday.

Further afield from Chechnya, Ukrainian drone attacks were reported overnight in several Russian regions.

In the southern Krasnodar region, a fire erupted at the Temryuk seaport, a key export center for liquefied petroleum gas and oil products. Meanwhile, in the Samara region, residents of Syzran reported hearing explosions at a Rosneft oil refinery.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, air defense systems intercepted 41 drones across five regions, as well as in the annexed Crimea.