Ukraine attack on airport likely to force ‘dispersal’ of Russian jets: UK

Ukrainian attacks on a Russian military airfield this weekend are likely to force Russia to disperse fighter jets and move air defense systems, a new assessment has found, as Kiev contends with Moscow’s deadly jet-launched glide bombs.

On April 27, Ukraine’s SBU security service orchestrated attacks on a Russian military airfield and two oil refineries in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, which were often used to launch attacks on Ukraine, several media outlets reported.

The SBU and the Ukrainian military targeted Russia’s Kushchevskaya air base, where “dozens of military aircraft, radars and electronic warfare devices were stationed.” The Kiev Independent reported, citing an anonymous security and defense source.

Early Saturday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had intercepted or destroyed 66 Ukrainian drones over the Krasnodar region overnight.

“The SBU continues to effectively target military and infrastructure facilities behind enemy lines, reducing Russia’s potential to wage war,” a Ukrainian source told domestic media.

Ukraine rarely openly acknowledges responsibility for attacks on internationally recognized Russian territory, which is a sensitive topic for Kiev’s Western supporters. Ukraine regularly targets Russian military bases and has stepped up attacks on Russia’s oil refineries in recent months.

Kushchevskaya airport is home to Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft, the British Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. Footage circulated widely online appeared to show the destruction of slide bomb kits at the site.

“Russian fighters, from Kushchevskaya and a number of other air bases, typically fly 100 to 150 missions a day, a significant percentage of those launching munitions along the front lines as Russia tries to force breakthroughs through sheer firepower,” the British government said.

The fighter jets have bombarded the front lines with modified bombs, upgraded from “dumb” ammunition to weapons equipped with guidance and glide kits. The heavy and more accurate bombs can be launched from beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defenses – a resource that has already been in short supply for Kiev in recent months.

Ukraine’s ability to interfere with Russia’s tactical air power, particularly its devastating use of glide bombs, is crucial to the defense of the wider frontlines, the UK Ministry of Defense said.

“This successful strike is likely to force further Russian dispersal of fighter aircraft, as well as a reallocation of air defense assets to fill gaps,” the report said.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense via email for comment.

Ukraine has previously attacked Russian air bases in the Moscow-controlled Crimean Peninsula, including in the main northern Crimean hub city of Dzhankoy.