Ukrainian strikes on a Russian military airfield over the weekend will likely force Russia to scatter fighter jets and move air defense systems, according to a new assessment, as Kyiv contends with Moscow's lethal jet-launched glide bombs.
On April 27, Ukraine's SBU security service orchestrated attacks on a Russian military airfield and two oil refineries located in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, frequently used to launch strikes on Ukraine, several outlets reported.
The SBU and Ukraine's Defense Forces targeted Russia's Kushchevskaya air base, where "dozens of military aircraft, radars, and electronic warfare devices were stationed," The Kyiv Independent reported, citing an anonymous security and defense source.
Early on Saturday morning, Russia's Defense Ministry said it had intercepted or destroyed 66 Ukrainian drones over the Krasnodar region overnight.
"The SBU continues to effectively target military and infrastructure facilities behind enemy lines, reducing Russia's potential for waging war," a Ukrainian source told domestic media.
Ukraine rarely openly admits responsibility for strikes on internationally-recognized Russian territory, which is a touchy subject for Kyiv's Western backers. Ukraine frequently zeros in on Russian military bases, and has upped attacks on Russia's oil refineries in recent months.
The Kushchevskaya airfield hosts Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft, the British Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. Footage widely circulated online appeared to show the destruction of glide bomb kits at the site.
"Russian fighters, from Kushchevskaya and a number of other air bases, typically conduct 100 to 150 sorties per day, a significant percentage of those launching munitions all along the frontlines as Russia attempts to force breakthroughs through sheer firepower," the U.K. government said.
The jets have bombarded the front lines with adapted bombs, upgraded from "dumb" munitions to weapons fitted with guidance and glide kits. The heavy and more accurate bombs can be launched from outside the range of Ukraine's air defenses—an already scarce resource for Kyiv in the past few months.
Ukraine's ability to interfere with Russia's tactical air power, particularly its devastating use of glide bombs, is crucial for the defense of the wider front lines, the British Defense Ministry said.
"This successful strike is likely to force further Russian dispersals of fighters as well as reallocation of air defence assets to plug gaps," it said.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Ukraine has previously struck Russian air bases on the Moscow-controlled Crimean Peninsula, including at the key northern Crimean hub town of Dzhankoy.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more
