Ukrainian drones attack airbase used by Russian bombers

A Ukrainian mass drone attack has damaged an airfield being used by Russian fighter-bombers after overwhelming its defences, an analysis of satellite imagery shows.

The War Zone, a US-based military news website, published satellite photographs of the Morozovsk base in southern Russia showing damage to Su-34s fighter jet parking bays and also to a hangar.

“While the attack appears to have caused some damage, the full extent is unclear at the moment,” it said.

The War Zone said that General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, had confirmed the attack on Friday morning against the air base in the Rostov region, which it described as “a forward operating base” for Su-34s that have been “a key weapon in the war”.

The “before and after’’ satellite photos taken by US-based Planet Lab show a gaping hole in a hangar roof, revealing two Su-34 fighter jets, and scorch marks on tarmac where Su-34s were normally parked.

The Russian ministry of defence has not commented but Russian military bloggers confirmed the attack, although they also claimed that all the Ukrainian drones had been shot down.

“Ukrainian units are modernising their drone tactics. This time most of the drones flew at a low altitude. However, this did not prevent us from destroying these flying objects and preventing virtually all damage on the ground,” Rybar told its 1.2 million Telegram subscribers.

The attack appears to mark a switch in Ukrainian drone tactics possibly because of the high-value nature of the target and also its relative proximity to the war zone, 150 miles away.

Ukrainian commanders have been sending single drones or groups of up to three drones on missions deep into Russia to strike airfields, refineries and nuclear radar stations. Instead, Friday’s attack on the Morozovsk air base appears to borrow from Russia’s swarm drone tactics.

The Morozovsk air base has been a vital launch site for Russia’s Su-34 fighter jets, one of the Kremlin’s most advanced, and was previously attacked by smaller groups of Ukrainian drones in March and April but reportedly only with limited success.

This is also at least the third attack on Russian airfields over the past 10 days. Last weekend, a Ukrainian drone destroyed a “next stealth generation” fighter bomber at an airfield on the Caspian Sea shore and also tried to attack another air base in the North Caucasus.

Russian military bloggers have complained that the Ministry of Defence is not adequately protecting air bases, an accusation that was repeated after the Morozovsk air base attack.