Ukraine has said that six Russian Su-34M fighter-bombers were destroyed in an overnight attack on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Russia's Voronezh region as part of a new offensive against the Russian military. Ukraine’s military and naval forces said today that they had targeted fighter aircraft at the airbase and had been using Ukraine’s Neptune coastal missile system.
Ukraine’s military General Staff said the six aircraft had been destroyed in different concentrations, but the full damage has not been verified, and Russia’s Defence Ministry did not publicly state the aircraft losses. It comes as the two countries have been on the attack and Ukraine is trying to sabotage Russia's ability to conduct air operations close to the front lines.
The targeted Borisoglebsk airfield is in the Voronezh region of western Russia, which borders Ukraine to the south. The reported strike is significant because aircraft used at the airfield are used for combat operations, such as the attack on military positions and settlements.
Ukrainian officials said the operation took place on six Su-34M aircraft, a high-end Su-34 fighter-bomber. The Neptune missile system was used, said the Ukrainian Navy. The results of the operation will be examined further in the future, through statements, imagery and independent analysis. Though Ukraine has portrayed the strike as a successful Russian military aircraft strike, the distinction between aircraft damaged, temporarily unusable and destroyed is still relevant when examining the real impact.
The Su-34M is an updated version of the Su-34, a twin-engine fighter-bomber for tactical strike missions. Russian forces have routinely used Su-34 aircraft to drop guided aerial bombs and other weapons on targets in Ukraine, especially in combat areas where the air force is trying to conduct strikes.
A large number of aircraft can be used for precision strikes on ground targets, can carry a wide variety of weapons and can be used in missions as well. Loss of even a few aircraft at one airfield would be a further blow to operational planning, maintenance and the availability of combat aircraft, and if the damage is found (if confirmed) would have a military effect on all of this and the military effects would depend on the state of the planes and the number of aircraft and how Russia could repair and replace damaged equipment. The strike is a rather significant development, but its effect on Russia’s air campaign is not yet clear from the information available.
Also of interest and more important to the operation is Ukraine’s Neptune missile system. The Neptune was originally developed as a coastal defence missile system, and Ukraine has expanded its use of domestically developed missiles and weapons in the current war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian military forces have sent more and more of the military infrastructure, aircraft, ammunition storage facilities and other facilities in Russian territory to hit military sites, aircraft, ammunition storage facilities and other targets in the country. It’s designed to disrupt logistics and also to reduce the resources available to Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
Information on the exact launch location, flight path, number of missiles that caused the damage at Borisoglebsk and the total damage at Borisoglebsk is not given in the reports published on Thursday. Independent verification is especially important in wartime, when both sides release information to communicate military successes and influence public understanding of operations.
The latest strike came as the conflict continued to see large-scale drone and missile attacks between both sides. Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region had seen a major Russian drone attack on October 15, Ukrainian officials said, with casualties and infrastructure damage.
Ukraine’s air force also claimed that Russia had launched hundreds of drones in the overnight attack. The continuing exchanges show how aerial warfare has become a significant part of the war, and military bases, energy and logistics infrastructure in the area are regularly targeted. Ukraine’s reported operation against the Russian aircraft may be part of its overall military strategy to target capabilities beyond the front line. At the same time, the extent of lasting impact will depend on verified damage assessments and developments following the strike.
So far, no such claim has been verified by Ukraine, but the six Russian Su-34M aircraft were destroyed. The Ukrainian military has said six aircraft were damaged and the Navy has said they were destroyed, which is evidence of success but doesn’t tell us the final status of each aircraft, Russia’s official response, or any other independent information on the damage.
If the losses are confirmed, it means Russia’s tactical aviation resources are in grave danger because Su-34M aircraft are critical for air-to-ground operations. Ukraine’s growing advance in military targets inside Russia will only be strengthened by the war.
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