2024-04-06T13:52:00+03:00 Politics 2024-09-15T04:32:08+03:00

Ukrainian news

American ISW analysts did not find any visual evidence of damage to russian aircraft at air bases

American ISW analysts did not find any visual evidence of damage to russian aircraft at air bases

ISW has not yet found any visual evidence that Ukrainian forces damaged or destroyed aircraft or infrastructure at any of the four air bases targeted by drones on Friday night.

This is stated in a daily report from analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) from Washington.

Military researchers noted that geolocation footage shows explosions and the activation of russian air defenses near all air bases, except for the air base near Yeysk.

Satellite images obtained on April 4 indicate that Engels air base had:

- three Tu-160 heavy strategic bombers, five Tu-95 strategic bombers, Il-76 transport aircraft and Tu-22 bomber;

- ten L-39 combat training-combat aircraft, five An-26 transport aircraft, An-74 transport aircraft, An-12 transport aircraft, four Su-27 aircraft, four Su-25 aircraft, one Su-30 aircraft, several Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters at Yeysk air base;

- 29 aircraft, mainly Su-34, at Morozovsk airfield.

ISW also noted that Ukrainian drone strikes typically target only individual air bases in russia, and Ukraine's ability to strike four separate air bases in a single series of strikes is a marked increase in capability.

ISW believes that Ukrainian strikes against targets on russian territory are a necessary component of the Ukrainian campaign to degrade the industries that support russia's military efforts and military capabilities.

The russian military routinely uses Tu-95 strategic bombers based at Engels Air Force Base to launch Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles against targets in Ukraine, and as of 2023 the russian military had approximately 60 Tu-95 aircraft. If the strike is confirmed, the potential loss of approximately five percent of russia's Tu-95 strategic bombers in a single strike would be significant.

ISW Key Findings for April 5:

- The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted one of the largest series of drone strikes on military facilities in russia, targeting at least four russian airbases, on the night of April 4-5.

- The recent increase in the pace of russian offensive operations in Ukraine is likely to lead to increased losses in manpower and material assets, but the russian ministry of defense appears to be successfully mitigating these losses.

- Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal noted that Ukraine is starting to equip new units, but needs further military assistance from the West for their proper equipment.

- Shmyhal also reported that russian missile strikes and drone strikes in recent weeks have damaged or interrupted about 80% of electricity production at Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPPs), as russian forces continue to exploit Ukraine's degraded air defense system in an attempt to destroy the Ukrainian power system.

- Ukrainian officials continue to warn that russian forces are systematically and increasingly using chemical weapons and other allegedly banned chemical substances in Ukraine.

- An unidentified drone struck a military unit in the pro-russian Moldovan self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria on April 5 amid the Kremlin's hybrid operation aimed at destabilizing Moldova from within, which experts say is ongoing.

- According to reports, russia has carried out thousands of cyberattacks on the railway transport infrastructure of the Czech Republic and other European countries as part of a larger effort to undermine the transport logistics of NATO members since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

- On April 5, russian troops made a confirmed advance near Avdiyivka amid positional battles continuing along the entire battle line.

- Russia's defense industry continues mobilization to meet the needs of the russian army in Ukraine.

- Russian president vladimir putin announced on April 4 that russia will soon open two youth centers in the occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions, which will be aimed at indoctrinating Ukrainian youth with russian culture and historical narratives.