Recent satellite images seem to reveal the aftermath of an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian military air base in the early hours of Saturday.
Kyiv has been targeting Russian assets across the border using locally-made long-range explosive drones during the ongoing conflict. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been spotted over Moscow, flying toward crucial military bases, particularly those housing aircraft used in attacks on Ukraine.
Reports emerged on Saturday morning that Kyiv had launched drone strikes on Russia’s Millerovo air base in the Rostov region, located approximately 25 miles from the border.
According to the regional governor, Vasily Golubev, the Russian military was defending against a “massive air attack” in the northern part of the region during the early hours of Saturday local time.
Shortly afterward, it was announced that 26 drones had been downed. The Russian Defense Ministry also stated that its air defenses had destroyed 26 aircraft-type UAVs over Rostov and one drone over the Smolensk region, north of Kyiv and east of Belarus.
An influential Russian military blogger, Rybar, reported that Moscow’s air defenses had intercepted 26 out of 30 Ukrainian drones. Four of the drones apparently struck a military facility’s infrastructure, causing minor damage to an administrative building and two warehouses, with no aircraft losses.
Published satellite images by the Russian-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty project depicted a damaged hangar at the Millerovo facility.
Journalist Mark Krutov from RFE/RL’s Russian service shared in a social media post that the satellite images indicated fire damage on a maintenance hangar, an open field, and a fuel depot at the site.
Recently, footage of the Russian Millerovo air base after a Ukrainian drone strike on July 20 was re-uploaded, showcasing damage as seen on a satellite image. The impact was visible on a maintenance hangar, an open field, and a fuel depot. Check it out: pic.twitter.com/aZAVWUQexv
— Mark Krutov (@kromark) July 21, 2024
Allies of Ukraine have not approved the use of long-range missiles for attacks inside Russia, and Ukraine has appealed against these restrictions.
In a previous incident, Ukrainian media reported that the country’s security services, along with military intelligence, had targeted Russia’s Akhtubinsk military airfield in the Astrakhan region east of Rostov. Regional defense successfully repelled more than 20 incoming aerial drones.
Earlier in June, Ukrainian forces reportedly damaged an advanced Russian Su-57 stealth jet at the Akhtubinsk airfield, hundreds of miles away from the front lines in eastern Ukraine. This was followed by unconfirmed reports suggesting two Su-57 aircraft may have been affected.