- Ukrainian forces used drones to attack an airfield in the heart of Russia last month.
- Russia has since withdrawn its planes from the area and dispersed them elsewhere.
- Western intelligence says this will lead to increased pressure on Moscow’s aircrews.
Russia has withdrawn dozens of planes from the front lines in response to a massive Ukrainian drone attack on a military base far behind enemy lines, according to new Western intelligence.
On April 27, Ukrainian forces fired dozens of attack drones on the Kushchyovskaya airfield and two oil refineries in southwest Russia, likely in an attempt to disrupt the highly destructive glide bomb operations of Moscow. The strikes are the latest long-range attacks by kyiv targeting Moscow’s military and energy facilities.
The British Ministry of Defense stated that the attack on Kushchyovskaya had “probably contributed to the withdrawal of around 40 aircraft of various types from the area and their dispersal to several airfields further away from the front line” during the last week.
“The impact of this is unlikely to be immediately obvious or dramatic. However, Ukraine has already demonstrated the ability to strike much further into Russia than these dispersal locations,” the UK wrote in a statement published Friday. updating information. However, he did not specify where these new locations were located.
Sukhoi Su-34 bombers drop bombs during the Aviadarts competition, part of the 2018 International Military Games, at the Dubrovichi training range outside Ryazan, Russia. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
“Imposing such dispersal measures means that the duration of sorties will have to increase to maintain the same permanence in the combat space,” the intelligence continues. “This will in turn require more fuel, which will increase costs, while putting more pressure on crews.”
Such results would be a victory for Ukraine, which is seeking to ease pressure on its frontline forces and air defense network, which have come under increasing pressure in recent months due to a shortage of ammunition. critical interception.
The late April attack is not the first time deep strikes in Ukraine have forced Russia to move its vulnerable assets. kyiv’s fleet of explosive naval drones has wreaked havoc on Russia’s Black Sea fleet, forcing it to disperse its warships from its headquarters on the occupied Crimean peninsula to a port city along the southwest coast of Russia.
Kushchyovskaya airfield is home to Russian Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets. It was not immediately clear whether any planes were hit in last weekend’s attack, but Britain’s Ministry of Defense, citing open source video footage, said a number of Glide bomb kits had been destroyed in a warehouse.
Russian Su-35s, Su-34s and Su-30s fly over central Moscow during the Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2021. Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images
Glide bombs have flight control surfaces that allow them to hover toward a target rather than falling freely and are a type of standoff weapon, meaning Russian planes can drop them from a distance beyond the range of Ukrainian air defense systems.
These munitions are difficult to intercept because they have short flight times, small radar signatures and non-ballistic trajectories. Destroying Moscow’s warplanes before they can drop the weapon or knocking them into the ground is actually the only way to defeat the threat.
Glide bombs have long been a headache for Ukraine, but Russia is increasingly relying on them this year to hit kyiv’s ground forces on the front lines and in rear positions, with a devastating effect. Experts have warned that these munitions could play an important role in supporting Moscow’s ground operations in the coming months.
Even before the Kushchyovskaya attack, Ukraine had attempted to attack Russian air bases, apparently in an attempt to quell the threat of hover bombs. In April, for example, kyiv launched a large number of drones at the Morozovsk air base, although the extent of the damage is ultimately unclear.
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