Satellite images show scale of damage from Ukraine's attack on Russian airbases
New satellite images have shown that a drone attack carried out by Ukraine destroyed and badly damaged Russia's strategic bombers. The attack, carried out over the weekend, targeted air bases deep inside Russian territory.According to Reuters, Ukraine launched around 117 drones from close-range containers, targeting at least four different Russian air bases. Drone footage confirmed by Reuters shows several planes being struck at two of these sites.advertisementOne of the key locations was Belaya air base in Irkutsk, Siberia. It faced extensive damage at this base, according to satellite imagery that Capella Space shared with Reuters. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, which are able to identify ground features even through clouds, provided these images. Experts were able to identify destroyed aircraft even though the images were grainy and in black and white.
John Ford, a research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, stated, "Based on the debris visible, comparison to recent satellite images and released drone footage from Telegram posted to Twitter, I can see the destruction of several aircraft."
Satellite image of the Belaya airfield, after a Ukrainian drone attack targeting Russian military airfields. (Photo: Reuters)
advertisementFord confirmed that the SAR images showed what looked like the wreckage of two Tu-22 Backfire bombers, long-range jets used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine. He also said that four Tu-95 heavy bombers were either destroyed or heavily damaged.UKRAINE CLAIMS OPERATION DAMAGED 41 PLANESFootage from another airfield, Olenya base in Murmansk, showed two bombers burning and a third being hit by a huge explosion. Reuters verified that the bombers appeared to be Tu-95s.The Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had targeted airfields in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. It claimed that air defences were able to halt the attacks in some regions, but not in Murmansk and Irkutsk, where several planes caught fire.Kremlin officials have launched an investigation into the attacks. Dmitry Medvedev, a top Russian security leader, warned, "Retribution is inevitable," indicating that Russia will respond harshly.
Ukraine's Security Service chief, Vasyl Maliuk, is seen examining an airfield map at an undisclosed location. (Photo: Reuters)
Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, the SBU, took responsibility for the operation, calling it "Spider's Web." They claimed that 41 Russian aircraft were hit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the operation, calling it "absolutely brilliant."advertisementOn Tuesday, Ukraine's military updated its report on Russian losses. Initially, they reported 12 aircraft destroyed, but later the number increased to 41. "After processing additional information from various sources and verifying it ... we report that the total (Russian) losses amounted to 41 military aircraft, including strategic bombers and other types of combat aircraft," said the Ukrainian military.According to the SBU, the damage from the operation is estimated at $7 billion. They said that 34% of Russia's cruise missile-carrying bombers at its main airfields were affected.According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this attack could compel Russia to change its airspace defenses. "The operation will force Russian officials to consider redistributing Russia's air defence systems to cover a much wider range of territory and possibly deploying mobile air defence groups that can more quickly react to possible similar Ukrainian drone strikes in the future," ISW said.This drone attack was one of Ukraine's most effective and extensive operations, since 2022.With inputs from ReutersMust Watch
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