Russia launches three waves of missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian air base ‘housing UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles’
Russia launches three waves of missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian air base ‘housing UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles’
- Thanks to the missiles, Ukraine has been able to penetrate deeper into occupied land since May
Russia launched three waves of strikes this morning against a Ukrainian air base believed to house long-range Storm Shadow missiles supplied by the British and French.
A triple attack saw explosions near the Starokonstantinov air base in Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi region, according to reports.
The extent of the damage was not clear, but Sergei Gamaly, the head of Ukraine’s regional military administration, said there had been a “series of explosions” in the area.
There were reports that Russia had sent seven nuclear-capable Tu-95 strategic bombers to launch strikes with conventional Kh-101 missiles.
Russian sources said the Starokonstantinov base was used by Ukrainian Su-24 fighter jets to fire Storm Shadows and SCALP-EGs in the French version at occupied territories.
File image of a Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 strategic bomber reportedly hitting a Ukrainian airbase early this morning
Video showed a Ukrainian Su-24 believed to be carrying UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles
The waves of attacks reportedly included advanced Russian Kinzhal or Dagger missiles, followed by an attack by Iranian-made Shahed drones and Kalibr missiles.
The Tu-95 strategic bombers fired Kh-101 cruise missiles at the base, reports say.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported that the target was both the Ukrainian stockpile of the Storm Shadow missiles and the base.
The attack coincided with Ukraine’s Air Force Day, and other air bases were attacked, according to Russian reports.
‘Particular attention was paid to Ukrainian airports. so much so that the remnants of their aviation had to rush west in a hurry at night,” Russia’s Flightbomber Telegram channel reported.
“The Russian Air Force, as it were, congratulated the Ukrainian Air Force on Aviation Day,” the channel said.
Ukraine’s armed forces have benefited from Britain and France sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles, capable of hitting targets 350 miles away.
Defense analyst Dr James Bosbotinis said the Storm Shadow’s range allows it to hit “high-value hardened targets” that “the adversary doesn’t want to attack”, such as bunkers, as reported by Forces.net.
Ukraine also has its HIMARS defense missile systems, but they have a range of only 80 kilometers.
Kinzhal missiles reportedly fired at Starokonstantinov Air Base in Ukraine, August 6, 2023
File image shows another view of a Tu-95MS strategic missile carrier over the Sea of Japan
Delivery of Storm Stream missiles to Ukraine was confirmed in May 2023 by the UK government – which has an estimated 700 to 1,000.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that the missiles had already been used by Ukraine on May 18, but declined to give further details.
The £2.2 million missiles per unit will enable Ukrainian forces to push deeper into Russian-held territory in the midst of a defiant counter-offensive.