Ukraine said it struck a Russian airbase on Saturday, while Russia continued to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones overnight as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than 3-year-old war.
Ukraine’s military general Staff said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk airbase in Russia’s Voronezh region, describing it as the “home base” of Russia’s Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets.
Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and “possibly other aircraft”.
Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack.
Such attacks on Russian airbases aim to dent Russia’s military capability and demonstrate Ukraine’s capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia’s territory in a surprise drone attack.
Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine’s air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost.
According to the air force, Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack.