In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces have launched mass drone strikes targeting some of Russia’s most distant air bases over the past couple of days. Notable among these was the Marynivka military airfield in Russia’s southwestern Volgograd region, attacked overnight on Wednesday.
This strike followed a similar Ukrainian drone assault on the Olenya air base in Murmansk, located around 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from the Ukrainian border. After the Marynivka strike, multiple explosions were reported at the airfield situated in the village of Oktyabrsky within the Kalachevsky district.
Andrei Bocharov, the regional governor, confirmed the incident, stating that a fire had erupted at a facility belonging to the Russian defense ministry.
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“Most of the drones were destroyed… there are no casualties,” he noted via Telegram.
Footage shared on social media captured a large fireball and thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the Marynivka base, which is known to be a hub for fighter jets.
Background
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led by President Vladimir Putin, the nation has faced a series of drone strikes, many penetrating deep into its territory. These attacks have frequently targeted military installations and ammunition warehouses. While Ukraine seldom claims responsibility for strikes within Russia, the Kremlin has accused Kyiv of attempting terrorist actions using drones.
The Latest Developments
Several Telegram channels, including Baza, associated with Russian security services, reported early Thursday that Ukrainian drones were indeed attacking the Marynivka air base.
Baza mentioned that “at least two drones were shot down: one was destroyed several kilometers from the airfield, and wreckage from another landed on a nearby trailer, igniting a fire.”
According to reports from Mash, locals reported hearing up to 12 explosions near the facility around 3:30 a.m., with preliminary air defense successfully intercepting at least two drones. There’s no official confirmation on these details yet.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that a total of 13 Ukrainian drones were downed over the Volgograd region during the night.
This story is still developing, and updates will follow as more information comes in.