Ukrainian forces struck eight regions inside Russia overnight, striking three military airfields and launching over 100 drones in one of Kyiv’s largest attacks of the war so far, according to local reports.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its air defenses destroyed 117 drones and four missiles—37 drones and four missiles over the Kursk region, where a Ukrainian incursion is ongoing; 37 drones over the Voronezh region; 17 drones over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine; 11 drones over the Nizhny Novgorod region; nine drones over the Volgograd region; three drones over the Bryansk region; two drones over the Oryol region; and one drone over the southern Rostov region.
Newsweek has been unable to verify these figures and has contacted Russia’s Defense Ministry for comment by email.
ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP/Getty Images
Pro-war Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is believed to be affiliated with the Russian Air Force, said Wednesday that three Russian military airfields were attacked by Ukraine, and that of the strikes were “effective.”
These airfields are reported to be the Savasleyka air base in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which hosts Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles; the Baltimore (Malshevo) air base near Voronezh; and the Borisoglebsk military airfield in the same region.
Russian air bases have been targeted by Ukraine multiple times throughout the war, which began in February 2022. Kyiv has said that Russian military bases are legitimate targets in the conflict, and its forces regularly attack them using long-range drones.
Attacks on Russian soil are typically claimed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR).
Gleb Nikitin, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, said on his Telegram channel that air defense systems were working in the Kulebaksky district “to suppress the attack of aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.”
“All measures are being taken to minimize the consequences. According to preliminary information, there are currently no casualties,” Nikitin wrote.
Russian investigative site Agentstvo confirmed that a fire broke out at the Savasleyka air base by analyzing data from NASA satellites.
U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty also released NATA satellite imagery that appeared to confirm fires near the Savasleyka and Baltimore military airfields.
Pro-war Telegram channel Fighterbomber said that Russia lacks sufficient air defense systems to prevent Ukrainian attacks on its airfields.
“And covering a military airfield with one or two Pantsirs [missile systems], you can only hope for luck. Actually, that’s exactly what many hope for,” the channel said.
Pro-Kyiv X user Special Kherson Cat noted that the Baltimore and Borisoglebsk airfields are located 111 miles and 211 miles from the front line in Ukraine, while the Savasleyka air base is located just over 400 miles from there.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.