Russia suffer further economic blow as Ukraine issue 'destroyed' statement
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has claimed that it has destroyed two Russian SU-34 aircraft at an airfield in the Volgograd region
In an audacious move against Russian military assets, Ukraine's special security forces successfully targeted two Russian SU-34 aircraft at the Marynivka airfield in the Volgograd region, as claimed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) via a Telegram post: "The SBU and the SSO [Special Operations Forces] of the armed forces of Ukraine destroyed two Russian SU-34 aircraft at the Marynivka airfield in the Volgograd region, damaged two more."
Without specifying the date of the operation, the SBU described it as a joint effort resulting in the destruction of the costly aircraft, each priced at approximately £23million. This strike not only inflicts an economic loss but also compromises the operational capabilities of Russian jets on the battlefield.
Further elaborating on the operation, the Ukrainian agency added: "The enemy actively uses these multifunctional fighters on the front line for bombing, including for dropping KABs."
Ukraine executed this bold attack using unmanned aerial vehicles which have become a staple in their defense tactics.
Detailed in their communique, the SBU stated: "The SSO of the armed forces of Ukraine and the SBU worked on the Russian fighters using long-range drones. The attacks also caused a fire in the technical and operational part of the enemy airfield, which is a critically important infrastructure of the military facility."
"It is there that the enemy prepares the aircraft for flights, carries out their current maintenance and repair work. Together with our brothers, we continue to work on weakening the aviation component of the Russian army. Military airfields and aircraft deep behind enemy lines are a completely legitimate target for Ukraine!"
Ukraine typically refrains from discussing operations beyond its borders, which inclusively counts the Crimean peninsula – a territory Russia annexed in 2014, an action not legally recognized internationally.
This report follows shortly after Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov's announcement on June 26 about intensifying long-range assaults into Russian land.
Speaking to the Kyiv Post, Umerov declared: "About two weeks ago, a decision was made to scale up these operations. We are already preparing a new large contract to increase the intensity of strikes."
