SIX Russian bombers destroyed in Ukraine's largest airbase strike this year

Today, there is important news from Ukraine.

Here, as Starlink internet access remains cut off, Ukraine is demonstrating that it has enough capabilities so that it is not out of the fight just yet. As the cutoff has severely disrupted high-speed drone controls, Ukraine’s domestically developed missiles just delivered the most devastating strike against Russian airbases this year.

In the middle of the night, Russian observers reported a large number of high-speed missiles flying into Russian territory, as air raid warnings were declared across numerous regions. The target, Russia’s major Borisoglebsk military airbase in the Voronezh region, housing the largest component of Russia’s military aircraft launching frontline glide-bomb strikes against Ukraine. Footage shows major fires lighting up the clouds in the night sky. Local residents filmed major flashes of light followed by loud explosions coming from the direction of the airfield. Finally, footage was published showing one of the impacts itself, with a massive fireball climbing up into the sky, suggesting that a major munitions depot was hit among the strikes.

In the aftermath, satellite footage was released showing that the damage was far more extreme. Six Russian Su thirty-four fighter-bombers had been destroyed in the blasts. Four wrecks are visible lining the tarmac, while who more fire marks on the asphalt suggest that two more were caught in the blast and were severely damaged. These aircraft are key in launching Russian glide bomb strikes against Ukrainian frontline positions.

They are able to carry the most out of all Russia aircraft simultaneously, and are therefore used most extensively as well. As Ukrainians are unable to counter Russian glide bombs without further-reaching missiles, the only way for Ukraine to disrupt the strikes is by targeting the aircraft and the bombs while on the ground. And the destruction of six of these aircraft is a significant loss for Russian air-support capabilities.

For the strike, Ukrainians used their own domestically produced Neptune missile systems. Ukraine has long used the missiles that sunk the Russian Black Sea flagship the Moskva in ground-attack roles as well, proving itself an effective weapon against the highest Russian targets. Just like these missiles, the Starlink cutoff recently imposed on Ukraine does not completely dismantle Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities. The missiles used for these strikes are either guided through a ballistic trajectory, have inertial guidance systems, or use radar-homing to lock on to their targets, not relying on any Starlink connection.

Ukraine’s long-range drones similarly rely on a multitude of AI systems, pre-programmed flight paths, varied satellite constellations, and sometimes even high-altitude balloon relays for guidance instead of Starlink. It’s also important to understand that long-range strikes are mostly conducted against static targets, meaning that the drones or missiles do not need to be piloted by Ukrainian operators using Starlink to fly to their targets, unlike most mid-range strike drones and interceptor drones. This is where the disruption has the most effect. Not against Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil and energy infrastructure, but in protecting civilians against Russian Shahed terror attacks and in undermining Russian offensives by the mid-range strikes. Because long-range strikes are now the only thing Ukraine has left to pressure Russia, Zelensky has officially lifted the ban on refinery strikes, which was initially imposed to precisely to approach Trump’s dealmaking efforts.

Overall, while Ukraine had halted strikes on Russian energy facilities for three days at Washington’s request, Russia continued striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities, prompting Zelensky to state that enough is enough and cancel the order. With Starlink speed limitations only affecting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, the long-range strikes will continue with renewed determination. Ukraine has plenty of domestic systems that will continue to strike Russia’s airfields, ammunition depots, and refineries deep inside Russian territory independent of Washington’s imposed limitations on Starlink. Zelensky added that for Ukraine, this is not a game, deal, or politics, but rather the continued survival of their country and its citizens.