Satellite Photos Show Impact of Ukraine Attack on Russian Airbase

Satellite images have been released showing the aftermath of a drone strike claimed by Ukraine's military on a military airfield in Russia's Krasnodar region.

The two photos, dated March 19 and April 28 are from California-based global imaging company Planet Labs and were posted by open-source intelligence analyst Brady Africk on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday. He said they show damage from an April 27 strike by Kyiv on Russia's Kushchyovskaya airbase, which is located more than 125 miles from the front line in Ukraine.

There have been a growing number of strikes on Russia soil in recent months. Attacks have largely targeted warehouses, industrial facilities and military sites. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry via email for comment.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was behind the attack on the military airfield in Russia's Krasnodar region, as well as strikes against two oil refineries, a source in the security and defense forces told Ukrainian publication the Kyiv Independent.

The military airbase houses "dozens of military aircraft, radars, and electronic warfare devices," the source said. "The SBU continues to effectively target military and infrastructure facilities behind enemy lines, reducing Russia's potential for waging war."

In the aftermath of the attack on the airbase, circulating footage purportedly showed destroyed Russian glide bomb kits. The Planet Labs image dated April 28 said the strike also potentially damaged Russian aircraft.

"Geolocated footage of the destroyed Russian glide-bomb kits at this site and satellite imagery from today show Ukraine's recent strike damaged several different areas at Russia's Kushchyovskaya air base," wrote Africk.

Osint Defender, an online open-source intelligence group said on X that the attack damaged at least two Russian aircraft used by the 797th Training Aviation Regiment, as well as a storage building for the military's glide-bomb kits.

The attack comes after Ukraine said it struck a large military airbase in annexed Crimea on April 17, damaging a number of Russia's prized S-400 Triumph air-defense systems, radar stations and a control center.

That attack, which took place at a military airfield in the city of Dzhankoy, is reported to have killed up to 30 Russian personnel and wounded a further 80 people. Ukraine's military intelligence said the strike damaged four S-400 air defense systems, three radars, an air-defense command-and-control center, and other surveillance equipment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was behind the strike and thanked his top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, for organizing the operation.

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