Footage on social media appears to show a drone targeting a military in the Russian city of Grozny in Chechnya.
Russian Telegram channels have blamed Ukraine for the attack in what would be an impressive display of their drone fighting capabilities if true.
The Chechnyan capital is around 1,500km from Ukrainian territory, highlighting the vast distances that can now be covered by the inexpensive but deadly weapon.
The footage circulating on Telegram and X shows a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) gliding over buildings as it descends on an urban area before crashing and unleashing a huge fireball.
Various Telegram channels, citing reports from locals, claim that the strikes have hit a base housing the Special Purpose Mobile Unit (OMON) riot police and the 2nd Regiment of Special Forces Police.
Other reports claim that a military facility used as a staging post before sending troops to Ukraine has also been hit.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said a drone was “shot down” over a police building with four guards receiving minor injuries.
In a post on Telegram, he said: “The drone exploded in the air, damaged the roof and broke the windows. The fragments caused a small fire which was quickly extinguished.”
Drone warfare has become an important weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal since the conflict began, with the inexpensive kit proving to be extremely effective on the battlefield.
Kadyrov is a long-term supporter of Putin and has sent thousands of troops to aid him in his efforts in Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said it shot down 16 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over Chechnya, three in the neighbouring region of North Ossetia and eight over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for attacks launched outside its internationally-recognised borders.
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