Amidst the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has shifted its focus to new targets within recognized Russian territory.
Belgorod, located near Ukraine’s Kharkiv area in northeastern Ukraine, is now under scrutiny. The United States recently granted authorization for Kyiv to launch a strike in Russia to safeguard the Kharkiv Region, utilizing U.S. ammunition.
Reports have surfaced of Kyiv attacking a Russian landing vessel that transitioned from the Black Sea, a frequent target of Ukrainian strikes, to the Sea of Azov. While Kyiv has denied involvement in the Sea of Azov incident, speculations of a potential friendly fire incident have been raised.
Russian sources mentioned Ukrainian drone attacks on a Russian barge and tugboat near Taganrog Port in southwest Russia, close to Mariupol in Ukraine. Notably, this marked the first instance of Ukrainian drone strikes in warfare, as reported by Defense Express.
In a significant move, GUR intelligence agency in Kyiv reported an attack on a military base near Astrakhan, with satellite evidence revealing damage to a Russian Su-57 fighter jet. This incident marked a successful breach of Moscow’s efforts to shield sophisticated aircraft from Ukrainian reach.
According to Andriy Yosov, GUR’s spokesperson, initial reports suggest that two Su-57 aircraft may have been damaged in the attack.