Kyiv's Neptune Missiles Target Russian Airfield in Overnight Attack

Ukraine's Navy said on Thursday that it had destroyed six Russian Su-34M fighter-bombers in an overnight missile strike on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in south-western Russia's Voronezh region. The attack was carried out using the Neptune coastal missile system, according to the Navy, which also reported damage to equipment supporting flight operations, a fire and secondary explosions. Ukrainian monitoring channels published satellite images purporting to show damage to an aircraft parking area. The reported destruction of the six warplanes could not be independently verified.

Russian authorities did not acknowledge a strike on the airfield. Voronezh region Governor Alexander Gusev said air defences intercepted 33 drones and several jet-powered aerial targets. Falling debris damaged outbuildings at several private homes and a car in the regional capital, Voronezh, he said. Residents of Borisoglebsk reported explosions and a large fire, with smoke visible from several parts of the city. The military airfield lies about six kilometres east of Borisoglebsk.

Russia uses Su-34 fighter-bombers to launch guided glide bombs at Ukrainian positions and populated areas. The Su-34M is an upgraded version of the aircraft. In September, Ukraine's military said it had destroyed a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet near the Millerovo airfield in the Rostov region and a Ka-27 helicopter near the Yeysk airfield in the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces had previously reported striking four aircraft at the Shagol airfield in the Chelyabinsk region: two Su-57 fighters, a Su-34 and another Sukhoi aircraft of an unidentified model. Those targets lay about 1,700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

The strike is the latest episode in Kyiv's campaign to degrade the Russian war machine that Moscow has used to wage its unprovoked assault on Ukraine. Ukraine, defending its sovereignty against Russian aggression, has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to reach deep into Russian territory. The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the course of the Kremlin's brutal campaign and the Ukrainian people's resistance.