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Ukraine launched a drone attack on a key Russian air base on Saturday, sources said.
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Ukraine says many of Russia’s devastating glide bombs are launched from planes at Kushchyovskaya air base.
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The bombs have become a central feature of Russian attacks, particularly on Khasiv Yar and Avdiivka.
Ukraine says it has carried out attacks on a key air base with the aim of thwarting Russia’s devastating glide bombs, according to Sky News.
An unnamed military source told the newspaper that the overnight operation had “significantly reduced” Russia’s ability to target the front line with bombs.
The attack took place at the Kushchyovskaya air base in Krasnodar Krai, southwestern Russia, the source said.
Other sources confirmed that some sort of attack had taken place.
Russia’s state news agency TASS acknowledged an airstrike there and said some drones had been shot down.
The influential Russian Telegram channel ASTRA said at least three drones had not been shot down there, citing its own unnamed sources. It said an Su-27 aircraft at the base was damaged, as well as infrastructure there.
Russia keeps Su-27s, Su-34s and Su-35s at Kushchyovskaya, all of which are used daily to launch glide bombs and other attacks, Sky’s source said.
Business Insider could not independently verify the claims.
Ukrainian law enforcement officials with knowledge of the situation told Ukrinform that the attack was a joint operation between the security service and Ukraine’s specialized drone unit.
Ukraine also says it targeted the base in late April, The Kiev Independent reported. Shortly after that attack, the British Ministry of Defense assessed that Russia began pulling some planes from there and moving them further from the front line.
Launching hover bombs has become a core tactic for Russia in recent months.
The cheap, Soviet-era air-launched munitions are equipped with wings and a rudimentary guidance system that allows planes to drop them from far beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defenses.
Once launched, the bombs are difficult to intercept and can have a devastating impact.
“These glide bombs were vital in the capture of Avdiivka and are currently being used extensively in Khasiv Yar,” the source told Sky News.
“They allow the Russian planes to drop their bombs further from the target so that they are less at risk from Ukrainian air defenses,” they said.
Chasiv Yar, in Ukraine’s eastern Donestk region, is a frontline hotspot, where Ukrainian troops have been dug in for several weeks.
The hilltop town lies just west of the now-destroyed city of Bakhmut and is a gateway to several important cities and supply routes.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian attacks there had intensified in recent days.
The Ukrainian view on preserving the city has been bleak for some time. In early May, Deputy Intelligence Chief Major General Vadym Skibitsky said it was only a matter of time before Russia took the city.
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