Ukraine Strikes Southern Russia with Drone Attack, Destroys Six Russian Planes
In a bold move, Ukraine has launched a drone attack against targets in southern Russia, claiming to have successfully destroyed six Russian planes at an airbase in the Rostov region.
According to security sources speaking to BBC Ukrainian, eight additional aircraft were severely damaged, with reports suggesting that up to 20 service personnel may have been killed or injured in the assault.
The targeted Morozovsk base is known to house Su-27 and Su-34 aircraft that are actively used on the front lines in Ukraine, as confirmed by the sources.
As of now, there has been no official response from Russia regarding the reported attack on their airfield, and the BBC has not been able to independently verify the claims.
However, Russian officials have acknowledged that over 40 drones were directed towards the region bordering Ukraine, with the defence ministry confirming that all the drones were intercepted and shot down.
Aside from the airbase, the attack also caused collateral damage in Rostov’s Morozovsk district, where an electrical substation was hit, leaving 600 people without power for several hours, according to Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev.
Golubev further noted that a 16-storey residential building suffered some damage as a result of the attack, and eight individuals were injured by explosives from one of the fallen drones during an investigation near the aerodrome.
Ukraine’s recent escalation of drone attacks within Russian territory has targeted military and energy facilities, with the country citing severe ammunition shortages as a driving factor.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine has set an ambitious goal of domestically producing a million drones this year, demonstrating their commitment to unconventional warfare tactics.
Just days before this latest attack, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a drone strike in Tatarstan, located over 1,300km away from the Ukraine-Russia border, targeting a drone factory and an oil refinery and resulting in twelve reported injuries.
This series of strikes marks the deepest incursions into Russian territory since the conflict began, signaling Ukraine’s determination to continue pressuring its adversary. — BBC
