An early-morning drone strike damaged a Russian Special Forces University in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya on Tuesday, according to regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Moscow Times reported.

This marks the first drone attack on Chechnya since the escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

“At 6.30am this morning, the roof of an empty building on the grounds of the Russian Special Forces University in Gudermes caught fire due to an unmanned aerial attack,” Kadyrov reported. Gudermes is located about 36 kilometres east of Grozny, Chechnya’s capital.

Images circulating on social media show flames and thick black smoke rising from what appears to be the university’s main campus roof. Kadyrov confirmed via Telegram that no casualties were reported, and that the fire had been successfully extinguished, allowing operations to resume as normal at the university.

While Kadyrov did not specify if he suspected Ukraine was responsible for the attack, he noted that authorities are investigating the incident. Chechnya is roughly 600 kilometres southeast of Ukraine’s border.

Later on Tuesday, Kadyrov vowed revenge, hinting at a Ukrainian link to the drone strike.

“Today, I ordered all commanders on the front lines [in Ukraine] not to take prisoners. We will destroy them [Ukrainians] and escalate our efforts by 100%,” Kadyrov told state media.

“They’ve provoked us, and they’ll face our wrath. They’ll see a vengeance like never before.”

The Russian Special Forces University, Russia’s only private institution training special unit personnel, opened a centre last year to train soldiers for deployment to Ukraine. Earlier this year, the university reportedly began production of combat drones. President Vladimir Putin visited the university in August, an institution that carries his name, underscoring its importance in the nation’s security operations.

Moscow Times

* This article was originally published by Moscow Times.

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