Russia said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed nearly 100 Ukrainian drones in a coordinated overnight attack spanning multiple regions.

An oil spill covering roughly 35,000 square meters has been reported in southern Russia’s Astrakhan region, the local environmental watchdog said on Thursday.

Editor's note: Seymur Mammadov, a special commentator for News.Az, is the director of the international expert club EurAsiaAz. The article expresses the personal opinion of the author and may not coincide with the view of News.Az.

On August 14, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces carried out a strike on the Russian port of Olya in Astrakhan Oblast, located on the Caspian Sea coast in southern Russia, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting and destroying 59 Ukrainian drones overnight on Sunday, March 23.

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on Wednesday announced that it has suspended all of its flights between the Azerbaijani capital Baku and Astrakhan for an indefinite period due to airspace closures over the Russian city

Aeroflot flight SU2131, traveling from Istanbul to Moscow, was forced to make an emergency landing in Astrakhan, southern Russia, due to a technical problem, the airline has confirmed.

Azerbaijan is exploring the launch of a new container train route connecting Astara (Iran), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Astrakhan (Russia).