Ukraine stages major attack on Russia's Morozovsk military air base

Ukraine attacks Russian air base, destroying warplanes in joint operation, as reported by Kyiv intelligence source.

Ukraine attacked Russia's Morozovsk military air base in the Rostov region, destroying six Russian warplanes in a joint operation conducted by the SBU security service and military, a Kyiv intelligence source told Reuters on April 5, 2024.

Reuters could not independently verify the claim. The source did not say how the attack was conducted but that eight more warplanes had also been damaged.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said a total of 44 drones were “intercepted and destroyed” in the Morozovsky district, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border. The attack damaged a power substation, Rostov Gov. Vasily Golubev said.

Russian media reported that there is a military airfield near the town of Morozovsk, but it was unclear whether the airfield was the target of the attack.

The Russian defense ministry said nine more drones were intercepted over Russia’s border regions of Kursk, Belgorod, Krasnodar and the nearby Saratov region.

Drone warfare is a key feature of the war, which has extended into a third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. On the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, where fighting is largely bogged down, low-cost drones are used by both sides to knock out expensive military hardware.

(With inputs from AP)