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Ukraine said it used drones to attack a Russian military airfield overnight.
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Russia kept glide bombs and the fighter-bombers that launch them at the airport.
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The attack marks Ukraine’s latest deep push as it targets key Russian military bases.
Ukrainian forces have used long-range drones at night to attack a Russian base housing fighter-bombers and their highly destructive glide bombs.
A source in Ukraine’s security service told Business Insider on Thursday that the attack took place targeted the Borisoglebsk military airport in the Russian region of Voronezh. The source spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operations.
The SBU source said the drones hit several locations at the airfield, including warehouses where glide bombs were kept, aviation fuel storage facilities and parking lots for the Su-35 and Su-34. They said Russia is actively using the base to carry out bombings on Ukrainian territory.
The Su-34s in particular posed a problem for Ukraine. Russia is arming these fighter-bombers with his glide bombsweapons that are almost impossible to intercept and are used to wreak havoc on Ukrainian civilians and troop positions. Kiev has made efforts to reduce this threat going after the planes and the bombs at their bases.
It is unclear whether any aircraft were hit or damaged during the Ukrainian attack.
“The SBU continues to take active measures to reduce the enemy’s ability to terrorize peaceful Ukrainian cities with fighter jets using glide bombs,” the source said, according to a translation of their comments shared with BI.
“The demilitarization of Russian military airfields will continue because the enemy should not feel comfortable even on its own territory,” the source added.
The attack last night marks the Ukraine’s last long-range attack at an important military installation deep in Russia. Kiev has targeted Russian aircraft, missiles, glide bombs and other high-profile weapons during this months-long campaign.
In September, Ukraine attacked several Russian ammunition depots in a series of drone strikes. causing major damage on multiple sites. The Russian air defense has been unable to defend consistently against Kiev’s deep attacks.
Ukraine has relied heavily on domestically produced attack drones to carry out these in-depth strike operations, as it is barred from using its arsenal of powerful Western-supplied missiles to hit military targets in Russia.
Ukrainian officials have long pressured their counterparts in the West to drop these restrictions, arguing that the restrictions hamper Kiev’s ability to effectively counter Russia.
Read the original article Business insider
