Russia loses a MiG-31 and two other aircraft after a Ukrainian drone strike on an airbase.

According to Ukrainian media, Ukraine destroyed a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet and two cargo planes during an attack on a military airfield deep within Russia at the beginning of August, followed by the downing of two Su-27 aircraft. It appears that, alongside the offensive in Kursk, Ukraine is targeting airbases that provide three-dimensional support to ground troops.
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This satellite image, released by Maxar Technologies on December 5, 2022, shows the Engels airbase in Russia, which was targeted by a drone attack. (Picture source: AFP)

Five other Russian planes were damaged during Ukrainian drone attacks on the Savasleyka military airbase in the Nizhny Novgorod region, east of Moscow, several Ukrainian media outlets reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources from Kyiv's military intelligence agency GUR. The attack, carried out on August 16, destroyed a MiG-31K or MiG-31I, according to the reports, along with two Il-76 planes.

Ukraine had also attacked the Savasleyka base a few days earlier, according to the Ukrainian military at the time, in addition to striking three other airbases across the border.

The General Staff of Kyiv stated on August 14 that it had targeted airbases in the Russian regions of Voronezh, Kursk, and Nizhny Novgorod, including the Savasleyka facility, describing the main targets as fuel depots and "aviation weapons." According to Ukrainian media, Kyiv damaged a fuel depot and a MiG-31 at Savasleyka during this previous attack. The Russian government reported a massive wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on its territory at the time, claiming to have destroyed 11 drones over Nizhny Novgorod.

Russian military Telegram channels and open-source intelligence accounts reported on Thursday morning, August 22, 2024, that Ukraine had targeted the Marinovka military airfield in the southwestern Volgograd region. NASA's FIRMS fire monitoring tool identified four fire outbreaks near the Marinovka airbase (coordinates: 48.64355, 43.79488). However, this is not the first time that this strategic base, housing MiG-31K aircraft, carriers of the feared Kinzhal missile, has been targeted. Its geographical location makes it an easy target for the Ukrainians, being about 470 km from the front line.

Nearly two and a half years after the large-scale war began in Ukraine, Kyiv has repeatedly targeted Russian airbases and airfields in occupied mainland Ukraine, in the annexed Crimean peninsula, and within internationally recognized Russian territory.

FIRMS tools  produced by NASA, shows fire ignition near Marinovka Airfield ( Picture source: Army rRecognition/FIRMS) 

Regional Governor Andrei Bocharov stated that a fire broke out at a military facility after Russian air defenses destroyed "most" of the drones involved in the attack. However, no information was provided by the Russians about the potential destruction of vehicles.

Kyiv is not allowed to use long-range weapons supplied by the West, such as the American Army's Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) or the Storm Shadow offered by the British, to strike airbases across the border in Russia, instead relying on locally manufactured long-range strike drones. Kyiv has strongly pushed for this restriction to be lifted, although its forces can use other Western-provided aid for short-range strikes within Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in mid-August that Ukrainian forces had carried out "precise, timely, and effective strikes on Russian airfields," describing Ukrainian drones as "operating exactly as needed."

"There are, however, things that drones alone unfortunately cannot accomplish. We need other weapons, missile systems," the Ukrainian leader continued in a statement posted on social media on August 14. "We continue to work with our partners to secure long-term solutions for Ukraine, as these are forward-looking decisions essential to our victory."