Ukraine claims destruction of Russian planes in overnight drone attack

Ukraine asserted on Friday that it had eradicated a minimum of six Russian military aircraft at an airbase situated in the southern Rostov region through a series of drone assaults conducted overnight. Kyiv executed one of its most extensive overnight offensives in weeks, deploying over 50 drones towards Russian territory, as per statements from Russia’s defense ministry.

A reliable security source in Kyiv informed AFP that an assault on the Morozovsk air base in Russia’s southern Rostov region resulted in the destruction of at least six Russian planes, with “another eight heavily damaged.” The source emphasized that this operation, conducted by the SBU security service and the military, would significantly diminish Russian combat capabilities.

Russia has yet to issue an immediate response, and AFP has been unable to independently verify the assertions. According to Russia, out of the 53 drones dispatched by Kyiv overnight, 44 targeted the southern Rostov region, which is adjacent to Ukraine and hosts several critical military installations, including the offensive command headquarters.

The Russian defense ministry stated, “During the night and morning of April 5, the Kyiv regime attempted multiple terrorist attacks using aerial drones, all of which were thwarted.” Rostov governor Vasily Golubev confirmed minor damage to a power station and windows shattered in an apartment building due to a drone attack in the Morozovsk district but made no mention of damage to the airbase itself.

In recent months, Kyiv has intensified its aerial assaults on Russian territory, aiming at military installations and energy facilities to disrupt Russia’s supply chain for fuel and equipment. The escalation includes a drone strike on the central Tatarstan region, approximately 1,100 kilometers from the shared border, targeting an oil refinery and a drone assembly factory.

Further Ukrainian drone attacks targeted border regions such as Belgorod and Kursk, along with Saratov and Krasnodar. In Saratov, the governor reported a drone strike on Engels, a city housing a significant Russian air base. Meanwhile, Russia purportedly launched five missiles and 13 drones towards Ukrainian territory overnight, with Kyiv claiming to have downed the drones but remaining silent on the missiles.

Additionally, areas of Ukraine under Russian occupation reported Ukrainian strikes on Friday, resulting in casualties. As the conflict intensifies, Russian forces aim to capitalize on Ukraine’s shortages in manpower and ammunition, while Russian-installed officials claim advancements on Ukrainian towns like Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region, a claim supported by both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers.