Russian Su-34 aircraft stationed 250 km behind the front were attacked

Satellite images released on June 14 confirmed that Ukrainian forces carried out a successful large-scale drone strike on the Morozovsk airfield in Russia’s Rostov region, located about 250 kilometers behind the front lines.

The action, which took place on June 13, was confirmed the next day. Morozovsk airfield is a key hub for Russian Air Force operations in Ukraine and serves as a forward base for Su-34 fighter jets, which are central to the Russian air campaign.

The full extent of the damage is still unclear, although no aircraft were reportedly destroyed. However, the apparent vulnerability of Russia’s air bases is likely to be of great concern to the Russian armed forces. Their anti-drone air defense systems appear to be limited, suggesting that similar attacks could become more frequent in the future.

Ukraine is expanding its capacities

Thanks to the delivery of American ATACMS missiles, Ukraine’s ability to attack Russian air bases and other key targets deep behind enemy lines has increased significantly. The presence of Western specialists on the ground and access to NATO satellite networks and air surveillance data have also played a crucial role in enabling these effective attacks.

In mid-May, American ATACMS missiles were used to attack Russia’s Belbek air base on the contested Crimean peninsula, destroying two of the aircraft that housed Russian MiG-31 interceptors.

That same month, an extraordinary drone attack occurred on a Voronezh-DM early warning radar system at the Armavir radar station in Russia’s southwestern Krasnodar region – a crucial part of Russia’s defense against possible Western nuclear missile attacks.

Later in May, the US relaxed restrictions on Ukrainian operations and allowed deeper strikes inside Russia using American weapons. In response to this increased threat, Russia deployed one of its new S-500 systems in the second week of June to bolster its defense capabilities against ballistic missiles.

Russian attacks on the command post

Ukraine’s increased focus on drone and missile strikes comes against a backdrop of its forces suffering numerous setbacks and heavy losses on the ground. This would allow the Russian army to capture significant territory from the end of 2022.

The Ukrainian drone attack on Morozovsk airport, which targeted the Su-34s stationed there, can be considered a direct response to the Russian airstrikes on June 12 this year. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Su-34 aircraft were used to attack a command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the zone of the Northern Military District. The ministry specified that these attacks were aimed at the command post and enemy personnel in the zone. “Vostok” Area of ​​responsibility of the troop group.

It is worth mentioning that the attack was carried out using high-explosive aerial bombs equipped with a universal planning and correction module (UMPC). This technology allows for precise strikes and at the same time keeps the attacking aircraft out of the range of enemy air defenses.

The Pecheneg Dam

On June 13, Russian media published images showing a pontoon crossing the Pecheneg dam near the village of Stari Saltov in Kharkiv region. The pontoon was destroyed by a Russian Air Force Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber. The moment of the missile attack on the Ukrainian border crossing was captured and posted by the authors of the Telegram channel “Iznanka”.

“The Su-34 aimed a high-precision Kh-38MLE missile at the pontoon crossing the Pecheneg Dam,” The channel’s authors reported preliminary data that several sections of the pontoon crossing were submerged as a result of the attack. The footage shows two Ukrainian military trucks approaching the crossing when the missile hit.

According to the Telegram channel LOSTRAMOR, this is not the first time that the bridge in the Stari Saltov area over the Seversky Donets has been attacked. The Russian Aerospace Forces had already destroyed a pontoon crossing over the Pecheneg dam built by Ukrainian forces in May 2022, but it was later rebuilt by Ukrainian engineer troops.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

On February 21, 2022, Russia stated that its border facility had been attacked by Ukrainian forces, resulting in the deaths of five Ukrainian fighters. However, Ukraine quickly denied these allegations, calling them “False flags”.

In a notable move, Russia announced the official recognition of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR regions on the same day. Interestingly, according to Russian President Putin, this recognition referred to all Ukrainian regions. Following this declaration, Putin sent a battalion of Russian forces, including tanks, to these territories.

On February 24, 2022, the world headlines were dominated by a significant incident. Putin ordered a violent military attack on Ukraine. Led by Russia’s impressive armed forces stationed on the Ukrainian border, this attack was not a spontaneous but a deliberate action. Although the circumstances resemble a war, the Russian government refrains from using this term. It prefers to speak of a “special military operation”.

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