Ukraine said it destroyed at least six Russian warplanes and damaged eight others in what could be one of the largest drone attacks of the war, according to multiple media reports.
Russia acknowledged a massive drone attack, saying there were 44 of them. However, it said it had shot them all down and only one power substation was damaged.
(It is not uncommon for Russia and Ukraine to give radically different assessments of whether an attack would be effective.)
Its Defense Ministry said the Saratov, Kursk, Belgorod and Krasnodar regions had also been targeted, according to the BBC.
A video of what appears to be part of the attack was shared on Telegram by former Ukrainian political advisor Anton Gerashchenko.
Business Insider has not been able to independently verify these reports.
The reports do not specify what type of plane was destroyed.
However, a source told the Kyiv Independent that Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-27 fighters were being held at the base.
An anonymous source told Radio Liberty that Su-24 bombers were also stationed there.
In addition to the six planes destroyed, sources told media that eight other planes were damaged. According to the kyiv Independent, around twenty Russian soldiers were killed or injured.
“This is an important special operation that will significantly reduce the combat potential of (Russian forces),” a source told the kyiv Independent.
A Ukrainian source also confirmed the operation to Sky News, saying the strike would “hamper Russia’s ability to carry out such strikes in the future and allow Ukrainian troops to repel Russian ground forces with a reduced threat of air attack.
Vasily Golubev, governor of Rostov district, said that in Morozovsky district eight people were injured when an explosive device exploded on a fallen drone and an electrical substation was hit.
AP noted that this may be one of the largest drone attacks of the war in Ukraine. For comparison, Ukraine was previously thought to have withdrawn up to 10 Russian planes in 10 days.
Representatives of the Ukrainian army, the SBU and the Russian army did not immediately respond to BI’s requests for comment.
If true, the latest drone strike constitutes a significant success for Ukraine. But on the ground, things are not going so well. A $60 billion aid package for Ukraine is currently blocked in Congress.
In a interview Along with Business Insider’s Sinéad Baker, two Ukrainian soldiers urged its allies to continue supporting them and stressed that Europe could be next.
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