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one from an S-400 system – in Belbek, also on
occupied Crimea, were struck.
On the night of Friday, June 14, at least 70
Ukrainian drones attacked the Morozovsk
airfield in the Rostov region of southern Russia.
This strategically important base, home to
Su-34 aircraft, had already faced attacks in
April 2024. This time, too, Russia claimed to
have intercepted and shot down all Ukrainian
drones. However, Morozovsk residents
reported explosions and fires, and satellite
images after the attack revealed damage to
a hangar and two Su-34 aircraft visible through
holes in the roof. Near the hangar, there were
burnt areas and fuel spill marks on the parking
area. It is possible another aircraf t was damaged
and towed away before the satellite flyover.
During this mass attack, an air defense
training center in Yeysk on the Russian side of
the Azov Sea was also hit. One building was
completely destroyed, and another was
damaged. Ukrainian sources suggested the
destroyed building might have housed up to 120
Iranian Shahed-136 drones, which Russia uses
for attacks on Ukrainian cities. Four refineries
in the Krasnodar region were also struck
simultaneously.
The S-500 Failed
In response to attacks on Russian air defense,
the latest S-500 system, Triumphator, was
deployed to occupied Crimea in the first half
of the monitored period. However, its combat
debut was an absolute failure. On Sunday, June
23, the ATACMS missile targeted the NIP-16
space communication complex in Vitino village
near Yevpatoria. Built in 1958 iduring the USSR
era, it served the Soviet space program. After
the Crimea occupation, Russia took control and
used it to communicate with military satellites
for detecting Ukrainian targets and guiding
bombs to them. Despite the complex being
protected by the S-500 system, at least four
ATACMS missiles breached the defense and hit
the space communication station NIP-16.
On the same day, a tragedy occurred on the
beach near Sevastopol. Missile parts fell into
a crowd of vacationers. Official reports state
that five people, including three children,
died, and around 120 were injured. Russian
authorities accused Ukraine of targeting
civilians on the beach and the USA of providing
coordinates for the beach to the ATACMS
missile. Both claims are dubious. If the ATACMS
missile with cluster munitions had indeed
targeted vacationers directly, there would
have been many more victims. The Russians
themselves cast doubt on this by stating that
the ATACMS missiles were intercepted, and
only debris from one missile fell on the beach.
Russian social media also showed photos
indicating that debris from a Russian air
defense missile hit the beach. This incident
highlighted the fact that Russians place radars
and launchers near the beach, increasing the
risk to vacationers.
On Friday, June 28, the S-500 battery itself
came under attack. According to the Ukrainian
side, an ATACMS missile hit its positions near
the Dzhankoy airport, destroying the Russian
system's radar. Satellite imagery recorded
a fierce fire at the site where the battery was
deployed. However, this information remains
unconfirmed.
Russian Losses in the Air
The shooting down of a Russian Su-25 in
the Donetsk region on the same day also
remains unconfirmed. The Ukrainian National
Guard captured it on an murky video, showing
The Akhtubinsk base after the Ukrainian attack on June 8. The Maxar satellite
image shows three Su-57s, and at the very bottom, there is an aircraft silhouette
painted on the surface to confuse drones.
A Tu-22M3 bomber in a photograph released by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The same type
was stationed at the Mozdok base.
A close-up of a damaged Su-57. In front of and behind it, to the left, there are
traces of drone explosions. It is also visible that a shelter was being constructed
for the airplane just before the attack.
INFO Eduard
25
August 2024