Major drone strike on Russian airport claimed by Ukraine, killing soldiers and destroying planes

Russian personnel were killed and fighter jets were destroyed in a significant drone strike that Ukraine carried out on an airbase in the Rostov region of Russia, according to a Ukrainian source with knowledge of the operation.

The source stated that "the operation is crucial to limit Russian military potential" and that the strikes on the Morozovsk airfield in the Rostov region, which resulted in the destruction of at least six Russian fighter jets, were carried out by the Ukrainian military and Security Service.  The airfield was targeted, according to the source, because it served as a base for planes that were "used to lob guided air bombs on Ukrainian troops and border communities." The source also stated that some 20 Russian soldiers were affected, either fatally or seriously.

Since the battle began in February 2022, the strikes upon an airfield within Russia will be the most catastrophic yet.  Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov, revealed via Telegram that more than 40 drones attacked an electrical substation in the Morozovsky area of the region, causing "minimal damage." He insisted, however, that no one was hurt.

Overnight, UAV strikes were launched against several Russian regions. On Friday, the Ministry of Defense announced that at least 53 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed across multiple borders.

The ministry reports that 44 UAVs were intercepted by air defense systems over the Rostov region, six over the Krasnodar region, and one over each of the Saratov, Kursk, and Belgorod regions.  Roman Busargin, the regional chief of the Russian Armed Forces in Engels, southeast of Saratov, stated that one drone had been intercepted, although he claimed there were no injuries or destructions.

Attacks on the Belgorod area close to the Ukrainian border also persisted; according to the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Ukrainian Armed Forces opened fire on the area, damaging gas and electrical supply lines.

Russia's southern border region with Ukraine, Rostov, has previously been affected by Kyiv's strategic airstrikes.  An explosion in September 2023 was brought on by a drone strike close to Russia's military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don. social media footage revealed the attack happened close to the military installation.  Wagner forces temporarily took control of Rostov-on-Don during the private military group's brief uprising against the Kremlin earlier this year.  Russia's internal support for the war is steadily eroding, and Ukraine is becoming more willing to execute targeted strikes over the border in an apparent attempt to weaken Russian infrastructure.