Strana 46
AIR WAR IN UKRAINE
Oreshnik missiles (mentioned above). He did
not explain what previous Russian attacks
were themselves supposed to have been
retaliation for.
Russian Aircraft Losses
On Friday, May 1, Ukraine‘s Security Service
(SBU) announced that it had carried out an
attack on the Shagol Air Base in Chelyabinsk,
approximately 1,700 km (1,056 miles) from
Ukrainian territory. According to the SBU,
four aircraft were hit: two Su-57 fighters, one
Su-34 fighter-bomber, and one aircraft of an
unknown type. However, so far these claims
have not been independently verified.
The first confirmed Russian aviation
loss during the reporting period occurred
on Tuesday, May 5, when a Mi-8 helicopter
was destroyed. The aircraft crashed under
unknown circumstances while responding to
a Ukrainian drone attack. The entire crew was
killed. One of the crew members was identified
as Lieutenant Nikita Mitroshchenko.
On Thursday, May 14, Ukrainian drones scored
another rare success. At Yeysk Air Base on the
coast of the Sea of Azov in Russia‘s Krasnodar
Krai, they struck and destroyed a Beriev
Be-200 aircraft. The Be-200 is an amphibious
jet-powered flying boat. Its prototype first flew
in 1998, and around 20 have been produced
since then.
The largest operator is Russia‘s Ministry of
Emergency Situations, which owns 12 aircraft
primarily used to fight forest fires, although
only about half are believed to be operational.
Russia‘s Ministry of Defense purchased
three Be-200s. The aircraft destroyed in the
attack was apparently operational, as it was
connected to a tow bar on its nose landing gear
for ground handling.
During the same attack on Yeysk Air Base,
a Kamov Ka-27 helicopter was also destroyed.
However, it was either already de-comissioned
or undergoing maintenance, as its rotor blades
had been removed.
On Monday, May 18, the Russian Air Force
once again inflicted losses on itself. A Russian
fighter aircraft accidentally shot down a Mi-8
helicopter. The entire helicopter crew was
killed.
The circumstances of the incident remain
unknown, but it most likely occurred
during operations against Ukrainian drones.
According to several sources, the helicopter
was the relatively rare Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic
warfare version.
Ukraine launched another major air strike
on Wednesday, May 27, using Storm Shadow /
SCALP
-
EG cruise missiles. Shortly after 5:00
a.m., the missiles targeted the Russian cities of
Voronezh and Taganrog, as well as Sevastopol
in occupied Crimea. In Voronezh, Baltimor Air
Base was struck. The base is home to the
47th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 105th
Mixed Aviation Division. Russian Su-34 aircraft
stationed there regularly conduct strike
missions against Ukraine.
In Taganrog, located in Russia‘s Rostov
Oblast, initial reports suggested that the local
aircraft repair plant was the target. However,
the Ukrainian General Staff later clarified
that the Storm Shadow missiles had actually
targeted Taganrog-Central Air Base, where
the repair facility is located. The base is also
home to the 708th Military Transport Aviation
Regiment of the 18th Guards Military Transport
Aviation Division, which operates Ilyushin Il-76
transport aircraft supporting Russian military
logistics.
The third target was the headquarters
building of the Russian Black Sea Fleet‘s
Naval Aviation Command in Sevastopol.
According to video footage that emerged later,
the headquarters building was completely
destroyed by fire.
On Saturday, May 30, Ukrainian drones
attacked Taganrog-South Airfield. Two Tupolev
Tu-142 maritime patrol and anti-submarine
aircraft were hit. The Tu-142 is a turboprop
aircraft developed from the Tu-95 strategic
bomber.
One Tu-142MR was destroyed, while one
Tu-142MK was damaged. According to The
Military Watch, the damaged aircraft carried
the fuselage number „Black 71.“
However, both aircraft had reportedly been
out of service for a long time—more than
15 years—although they were occasionally
moved around the airfield. They had been
parked at their current location only shortly
before the attack.
The Ukrainian Air Force suffered no
confirmed aircraft losses during the reporting
period.
Aftermath of the Ukrainian strike on Starobilsk in the Luhansk region on May 22.
Ukrainian Su-24 carrying Storm Shadow / SCALP
-
EG cruise missiles.
Beriev Be-200 destroyed during the Ukrainian
attack on Yeysk on May 14.
Kamov Ka-27 destroyed during the Ukrainian attack
on Yeysk on May 14.
INFO Eduard46
July 2026