Over the weekend, Ukraine launched what is believed to be one of the largest drone strikes of the war, targeting Russian airfields home to fighter-bombers capable of dropping punitive glide bombs.
On Friday, Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Morozovsk Air Base in Rostov, about 320 miles west of the Ukrainian border, as part of a multi-front offensive that also included targets in the Saratov, Kursk and Belgorod regions. Ukraine took credit for the attack and reported heavy damage and destruction.
A Ukrainian law enforcement official told POLITICO that the attack on Morozovsk airfield was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine in cooperation with the military and defense forces.
“At least six fighter-bombers were destroyed,” a Ukrainian official said, adding that eight more suffered “severe damage” and 20 Russian soldiers were killed. Ukrainian sources did not elaborate on how the attack was carried out.
Video taken from the ground showed multiple explosions at the base and what appeared to be Russian air defenses engaging the attacking Ukrainian drones.
As usual, Russia had a different story. Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram that the base's air defense systems repelled the attack, causing little damage and no one was injured.
“The power substation suffered minor damage. Around 600 residents were left stranded without power supply in the morning,” Golubev said, adding that Russia had shot down more than 40 drones.
Business Insider cannot independently verify these claims.
Initial reports suggest that Ukraine has destroyed a Russian Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber, which regularly drops devastating glide bombs and poses a threat to front-line Ukrainian defense forces. It became.
Anonymous Ukrainian intelligence sources told Reuters the attack was significant, while another official told NBC News that the attack on the Su-34 was “an important special operation that significantly reduces the force. ” he said.
However, it remains unclear how successful this offensive anti-aircraft operation was. The day before the attack, satellite images showed 29 fighter jets visible across the airfield. And on Saturday, new photos suggested there was little damage to the base of the plane.
No aircraft were visibly destroyed, and the base showed little sign of damage other than a few craters indicating some kind of attack. Analysts observed that jets appeared to be using the runway.
These photos suggest that the Ukrainian drone may not have been able to accomplish its intended mission, but they may not be telling the whole story. The images may not have captured all the details, such as minor damage to the Russian aircraft or other problems at the airfield. It's just hard to tell.
In any case, the Ukrainian attack is the latest on Russian soil, as Kiev's military has also stepped up attacks on military and energy infrastructure. Despite reports of calls for a halt to these attacks, Ukraine has said these facilities, which Russia frequently targets inside Ukraine, are legitimate targets. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the United States “does not support or authorize any attack by Ukraine outside of Ukrainian territory.”
The attack on Morozovsk is significant because Ukraine appears to be targeting Russian aircraft that can wreak havoc on its own forces with glide bombs.
Glide bombs are large, heavy standoff weapons, meaning they can be fired from a distance from the target. Unlike conventional bombs, it is kitted out with a flying surface that allows it to glide to its target.
This feature allows Russian aircraft to remain at a relatively safe distance from Ukraine's air defenses. Once launched, glide bombs have a short flight time and can be difficult to track and shoot down. Russia has been using them to devastating effect since last year, but has expanded their use in recent months.
In mid-February, Russia used a large-scale glide bomb attack to overwhelm Ukrainian fortress defenses and support the capture of Avdiivka. Towards the end of that months-long battle, Russia briefly gained temporary and localized air superiority.
Since the fall of Avdiivka, Russia's use of glide bombs has only increased. The Ukrainian government announced that in just six days, from March 18th to March 24th, Russia dropped 700 glide bombs on Ukraine.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently stated that these bombs' “Russia's main advantage on the battlefield is their widespread use,” adding that these weapons allow the Russian military to “destroy targets, destroy ruins, etc.” He added that it is possible to move forward through the
In reality, he said, “the only way to counter this barbaric tactic is to shoot down the aircraft dropping these bombs, and to do that we need sufficient modern air defense systems on the front lines.'' “Yes,” he emphasized. The only other option is to destroy the planes on the ground.
Ukraine's air defense network is currently stretched thin to protect its front lines, civilian centers, and parts of its energy and military infrastructure. As Russia increases the scale, volume, and intensity of its attacks, including the use of various types of missiles and drones, Ukraine is being forced to prioritize defending certain targets over others. As a result, some regions, such as Kharkiv, may have been hit by attacks in recent weeks.
As Russian airstrikes intensify and U.S. military aid remains tied up in Congress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is sounding the alarm about the dire state of ammunition and his country's air defenses. He said in an interview on Saturday that Ukraine needs 25 Patriot air defense systems to fully defend against a Russian attack.
The institute said other comments in the interview, particularly regarding delays in security assistance, reflected Ukraine's “difficult decision to prioritize certain aspects of its defense over limiting Russia's military capabilities and preparing for counterattack operations.” This suggests that they are being forced to do so. War is a Washington, DC-based think tank that has closely tracked wars.