Ukraine launched a drone attack on Russia’s Marinovka military airfield in the southern Volgograd region last night, according to reports from both Ukrainian sources and Russian officials. The strike, which targeted a storage site for fuel and glide bombs, was confirmed by a security source in Kyiv. The operation is part of an ongoing campaign by Ukrainian forces to hit Russian airfields that are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.
The governor of the Volgograd region, Andrei Bocharov, confirmed the attack, noting that a fire had broken out at a military facility due to a drone crashing into it. He assured that there were no casualties reported from the incident. Videos circulated on social media show large fireballs and thick plumes of smoke rising from the Marinovka base, located in the village of Oktyabrsky in the Kalachevsky district.
This attack is the latest in a series of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian military assets. The drones have increasingly been used by Ukraine to strike deep within Russian territory, disrupting military operations and logistics. Ukraine’s military has particularly emphasized the threat posed by Russia’s use of glide bombs, which are deployed from warplanes and have been used to target Ukrainian positions in the east as well as civilian areas.
Ukraine’s air force remains outnumbered by Russia’s much larger and better-equipped fleet, even with the recent delivery of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. The Ukrainian government views these drone strikes as a critical component of their broader strategy to weaken Russia’s military capabilities, especially as the ground war continues in eastern Ukraine.
The Marinovka airfield, which reportedly houses Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-24 tactical bombers, plays a strategic role in Russia’s air operations against Ukraine. The attack on this airfield is seen as a calculated move by Ukrainian forces to disrupt Russian air strikes and to reduce the effectiveness of Russia’s aerial assaults on Ukrainian targets.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the country’s special forces are said to have jointly carried out the operation. The SBU has been behind many of Ukraine’s recent drone strikes and sabotage operations on Russian soil. These actions have been effective in creating logistical challenges for the Russian military and have served as a psychological blow to Russian forces.
The drone strike on Marinovka follows another attack on Russia’s Olenya air base in the Murmansk region, located over 1,200 miles from the Ukrainian border. These consecutive strikes highlight Ukraine’s growing capability to reach far beyond the immediate conflict zone, hitting key Russian military assets.
As the conflict continues, these drone attacks are expected to persist, with Ukrainian forces aiming to keep the pressure on Russian military infrastructure. Both Kyiv and Moscow remain locked in a battle of attrition, with drone warfare becoming an increasingly prominent aspect of the conflict. The attacks on Russian soil have further complicated any prospects for peace talks, with both sides showing little willingness to compromise.
Russia has accused Ukraine of using terrorist tactics through these drone strikes, but Kyiv maintains that military bases and other strategic targets within Russia are legitimate objectives in their ongoing defense against the invasion. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing developments as both nations continue their military engagements.
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