A short distance away you will see what appears to be a small crater and scorch marks on the platform. It’s hard to say if any planes are damaged, but there are usually several planes parked here.
Higher resolution images are needed for a more detailed assessment of the latest developments a growing list of Russian airports that have been target of Kiev. However, the damage seen in Friday’s photo was not visible in a photo taken on June 6. It is also worth noting that evacuating aircraft that may fly from a base that has just been hit is a common practice in Russia.
A broader comparison view of the airbase offers another contrast between June 6 and June 13.
Russian sources acknowledged the attack but differed in their assessments.
Russia’s Two Majors Telegram channel claimed no aircraft were damaged. The Russian Kremlin Snuff Box Telegram channel claimed that although most of the drones were shot down before reaching the target, some got through and as a result six pilots were killed and another ten troops were injured. Meanwhile, Budanov told us that a battle damage assessment is underway.
“We are waiting for information” on whether any planes were destroyed or damaged, he said.
There is other visual evidence that the airport was targeted. Images and videos appeared on social media overnight showing drones flying over Morosovsk. There were also claims that numerous explosions were heard near the base. A photo on Twitter showed a large fireball and a huge plume of black smoke, reportedly near the airport.
https://x.com/Osinttechnical/status/1801442634700865557
“The drone flew right over the head of a subscriber from Morozovsk,” wrote the This Is Rostov News Telegram channel. “The enemy was aiming at the airfield.”
Before we got the satellite images, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasiliy Golubev said on his Telegram channel on Thursday that “the air defense forces successfully repelled a massive UAV attack on the territory of the Rostov region.”
“Drones were destroyed in the area of several settlements in the region,” he added. “According to preliminary data, there are no casualties. The consequences on site are being clarified.”
However, the power supply to the neighborhood was disrupted.
“The restoration of power to settlements that are today without electricity due to damage to a transformer station following a massive UAV attack continues,” he wrote. “At present, work on connecting life support facilities and social institutions with backup energy sources has been largely completed. This will allow us to restore water supply to populated areas. Emergency teams of energy technicians are working to restore power to residents.”
The operation was launched from Ukraine, Budanov said, adding that at least 70 and perhaps more Ukrainian Dragon and Splash drones reached the airport. That figure is consistent with what Russia’s Two Majors Telegram channel said on Friday. Two majors complained that the attack exposed major vulnerabilities in Russia’s air defenses against drones.
“Despite the fact that the enemy failed to destroy our aircraft tonight at the Morozovsk airfield in the Rostov region, the ability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to launch 70 drones simultaneously deep into our territory, as well as their ability to air defense to overcome before approaching the airfield indicates that the enemy has great potential to use this kind of home-made weapon defeat,” Two Majors said.
This was the second large-scale Ukrainian drone attack in Morozovsk in two months. It also happened on April 5. Following that strike, several videos and images emerged, which you can see below.
As we reported at the time, Ukrainian officials claimed the attack destroyed at least six military aircraft and severely damaged eight others. Kiev also claimed that twenty Russian personnel had been killed or injured at the base. The Kiev Post Tweet of that claim can be seen below.
However, subsequent high-resolution Planet Lab images we got it the next day showed no major damage at Morosovsk.
“The day before the attack, 29 fighter jets were visible in parking lots throughout the facility. In the images obtained from Planet Labs, taken today, we can count the same number of aircraft, without visible major damage to them or to the base’s infrastructure. we noted at the time.
This time, Ukrainian officials have not made such bold claims. However, the base will be attacked again, Budanov promised.
“Yes,” he said curtly when asked if the Ukrainian armed forces were planning another airstrike on that airport.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
