Ukraine confirms strike on Russian airbase in North Caucasus
Ukrainian forces carried out a successful strike against Russia's Khanskaya military airfield in the Adygea Republic, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Oct. 10.
The confirmation comes shortly after Adygea Republic authorities reported a drone attack against the region early on Oct. 10. The Russian Telegram news channel Astra wrote about explosions near the airfield the same morning.
"During the attack, 57 warplanes, trainer aircraft, and helicopters were based at the airfield. This included Su-34 and Su-35 jets and Mi-8 helicopters," a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
The operation was carried out in cooperation between the SBU, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), and the Special Operations Forces, according to the SBU source and the General Staff.
Also on Oct. 10, drones operated by SBU, HUR, the military, and the Special Operations Forces hit a Shahed drone storage facility near the Russian city of Yeysk, the source added, resulting in explosions and a powerful fire.
The extent of damage inflicted on the aircraft in Adygea is being determined. According to the General Staff, the strike damaged an ammunition warehouse, resulting in a fire, which is also visible in footage shared on social media.
The airfield is located near the village of Khanskaya, close to the region's capital city of Maykop and roughly 430 kilometers (270 miles) from the front line. The Khanskaya airfield is home to Russia's 272nd Training Aviation Regiment.
Citing satellite imagery, the Defense Express outlet gave a lower estimate on the number of aircraft based at the airfield. Satellite footage from Oct. 6 shows 12 aircraft of an unknown type stationed in the airbase, which is roughly the size of one tactical aviation squadron.
It is currently unclear whether the figure given by the SBU source was an overestimation or whether Russia moved additional aircraft to the airbase in the past few days.
According to the source, Russia uses the airbase for refueling and to support airstrikes against Ukrainian military positions and population centers.
Ukraine has carried out a number of strikes against airbases and other military facilities in an effort to weaken the more powerful Russian Air Force and curb Moscow's ability to launch devastating aerial attacks against Ukrainian cities.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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