Russia conducts ‘retaliatory strikes' on Ukrainian airfield
Russian forces have conducted overnight strikes on a Ukrainian airfield in the western Rovno Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday. The strikes are part of Moscow's retaliation for Ukrainian 'terrorist attacks' against Russian air forces, the statement said.
Last week, Ukrainian intelligence services claimed to have delivered a significant blow to Russian air power by bombing airfields deep inside the country with short-range first person view drones launched from concealed compartments in freight cars. Moscow has accused Kiev of seriously exaggerating the effect of the operation.
The Russian military has framed several of its recent operations as retaliation for the drone plot as well as the deadly derailment of a passenger train which occurred on the same day. Investigators have said forensic evidence unequivocally linked the incident to Kiev's broader efforts to sabotage transport infrastructure and demoralize the Russian public.
The latest retaliation strikes outlined on Monday also included the bombing of Ukrainian weapons plants, locations where Ukrainian kamikaze drones were being assembled, munition depots, and other military targets.
Earlier in the day, the ministry reported that overnight Russian air defense forces had intercepted 79 Ukrainian kamikaze drones, which Kiev launches daily against targets deep inside Russia. One such recent operation caused a major blackout in the border Kursk Region, according to local authorities.
Ukrainian media claimed that Russia used hypersonic air-launched Kinzhal rockets to strike the Dubno airfield, but Moscow did not specify the weapons involved. Kiev reportedly stations some Western-donated F-16 fighter jets in Rovno Region alongside its Soviet legacy warplanes.
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