Strana 28
Traditional Drone Strikes
Ukraine continued attacking Russian
airfields using conventional means:
June 2: Drone strikes on Tikhoretsk
(Krasnodar) and Borisoglebsk bases.
Russia denied equipment losses but
admitted personnel deaths.
June 5: Kamikaze drones hit Bryansk
airfield; a major explosion was reported,
with speculation about a destroyed Mi-8
helicopter. Satellite images later showed
a large burn mark.
That night: Drone swarm attacked
Millerovo airfield near the Ukrainian
border.
June 6: Fuel depot near Engels-2 base
ignited; Dyagilevo was hit again.
June 9: Drones targeted Savasleyka
airfield near Nizhny Novgorod.
June 11 & 13: Further fires at Engels-2,
including another fuel tank.
June 15 (overnight): Strike on Butur-
linovka base near Voronezh.
While results are unclear unless major
fires occur, explosions at night are often
ambiguous—possibly just falling debris
from intercepted drones.
However, two confirmed losses occurred
in late June:
June 27: Ukrainian special forces and
SBU attacked Marinovka base (Volgograd
Oblast), destroying two Su-34 fighter-
bombers and damaging two more. Satellite
images showed cratered terrain and
burnt-out aircraft.
June 28: SBU struck Kirovskoe base in
occupied Crimea, claiming destruction of
three helicopters and a Pantsir air defense
system. Satellite images confirmed one
Mi-26 helicopter destroyed and another
heavily damaged—the first confirmed
Mi-26 loss of the war.
Two Aircraft Lost in the Air
June 7: A Russian Su-35S was shot
down over Yurasovo (Kursk Oblast).
The pilot ejected safely. Rumors of an F-16
shootdown were dismissed; most likely it
was hit by a Ukrainian Patriot system.
June 13: Near Soledar, a Su-25SM lost
a wing during a post-strike turn due to
wear and poor maintenance. The pilot
ejected and survived.
Total Losses and Conclusions
Between June 1–30, Russia lost 29 to
33 aircraft and helicopters. The most
devastating were the eight Tu-95MS
strategic bombers—irreplaceable due to
limited production capability.
Additional Ukrainian Strikes
Ukraine also targeted:
June 3: Explosives detonated at the
pillars of the Crimean Bridge. No damage
claimed by Russia, but rail and truck
traffic was suspended.
June 5: Ukrainian strike destroyed
three Iskander-M launchers near Bryansk,
killing eight officers including Lt. Colonel
Oleg Podozerov.
June 8–9: Strikes on an explosives
factory in Tula, a petrochemical plant near
Kstovo, two electronic warfare component
factories in Chuvashia, and a gunpowder
plant in Kazan. A Russian infantry base in
Rylsk (Kursk Oblast) was also hit—several
officers from the notorious 155th Naval
Infantry Brigade were reported killed.
June 11: Gunpowder plant hit near
Tambov.
June 13: HIMARS strike on a Russian
troop gathering destroyed several buses
and trucks, killing at least 20.
June 22: A train carrying fuel was struck
near Tokmak (occupied Zaporizhzhia
Oblast), burning at least 12 tankers.
Ongoing attempts were made to strike
the Shahed drone factory in Yelabuga
(Tatarstan), over 1,000 km away—making
it difficult for drones to carry enough
explosives and survive the journey.
Enhanced Shahed Drones
Despite recent Ukrainian operations,
Russia’s drone production facility in
Jelabuga remains a key target. Shahed
drones continue to pose increasing
challenges for Ukraine. Even before
Operation Spiderweb, Russia was already
limiting the use of strategic bombers and
ramping up deployment of Shahed drones.
These drones have been progressively
improved — they now fly at higher
altitudes, over 2 km, which reduces the
effectiveness of mobile anti-air teams
Explosion at Bryansk Airbase on June 5th, allegedly destroying a Mi-8 helicopter.
Russia's Ministry of Defense stock photo of Su-34 aircraft
UKRAINE
INFO Eduard28
August 2025