An early morning drone strike damaged a special forces university in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said Tuesday, marking the first such attack on the region since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.At 6:30 this morning, the roof of an empty building on the territory of the Russian Special Forces University caught fire in Gudermes as a result of an unmanned aerial attack, Kadyrov said, referring to a town around 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of the capital Grozny.Images shared on social media showed fire and black smoke rising from what appeared to be the universitys main campus roof.No one was killed or injured.
The fire has been extinguished, Kadyrov wrote on Telegram, adding that the attack did not lead to disruptions at the university.He did not say whether he believed the drone had been launched from Ukraine, noting only that police were investigating the incident.
Chechnya islocated around 600 kilometers (373 miles) southeast of the border with Ukraine.The Russian Special Forces University is the countrys only private educational institution that trains special unit personnel.
After Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, the university created a center to train soldiers for the war, and it reportedlylaunched combat drone production this spring.President Vladimir Putinvisited the university, which carries his name, earlier in August.