Satellite photographs have emerged following a drone strike claimed by the Ukrainian military on a military airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
The two photographs, dated March 19 and April 28, are from Planet Labs, the California-based global imagery company, and were posted Sunday via open-source intelligence analyst Brady Africk on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said they showed the damage caused through an April 27 attack was carried out through Kyiv on the Russian Kushchyovskaya airbase, more than two hundred kilometers from the front line in Ukraine.
The damage caused by a Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Kushchyovskaya airbase can be seen in new high-resolution satellite imagery. This is more than two hundred kilometers from the front line in Ucrania. pic. twitter. com/HXNaB7ClGp
Attacks have multiplied in recent months on Russian soil. The attacks largely targeted warehouses, commercial facilities, and military sites. Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was responsible for the attack on the army airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region, as well as attacks on two oil refineries, a source in the security and defense forces told the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independent.
The army air base is home to “dozens of military aircraft, radars and electronic warfare devices,” the source said. “The SBU continues to target army installations and infrastructure on enemy lines well, reducing Russia’s war potential. “
In the aftermath of the attack on the air base, symbols that circulated purportedly showed destroyed Russian bomb kits. The Planet Labs symbol dated April 28 indicates that the attack could also damage Russian aircraft.
“Geotagged photographs of destroyed Russian bomb kits at this location and today’s satellite imagery show that the recent Ukrainian attack destroyed several other spaces at the Russian Kushchyovskaya airbase,” Africk wrote.
Osint Defender, an open-source online intelligence group, said on X that the attack destroyed at least two Russian aircraft used in the 797th Training Aviation Regiment, as well as the construction of a garage for the army’s bomb kits.
The attack comes after Ukraine said it had attacked a giant army air base in annexed Crimea on April 17, damaging several Russian S-400 Triumph air defense systems, radar stations and a center.
The attack, which took place at an army airfield in the city of Djankoy, reportedly killed 30 Russian servicemen and wounded 80 others. Ukrainian military intelligence said the strike destroyed 4 S-400 air defense systems, 3 radars and an air defense command. and media and other surveillance equipment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was the site of the attack and thanked his most sensible army commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, for organizing the operation.
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Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek journalist based in Kuala Lumpur. It focuses on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel joined Newsweek in 2021 and in the past had worked with media outlets such as the Daily Express, The Times, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Grazia. She holds a Master’s degree in News Journalism from the City of London, University of London and a Bachelor’s degree in Russian Journalism from Queen Mary, University of London. Languages: English, Russian
You can contact Isabel by emailing i. vanbrugen@newsweek. com or following her on X @isabelvanbrugen
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