Ukraine launches missile strike on Russian airfield housing Putin’s supersonic bombers

Ukraine today launched a spectacular nighttime missile strike into Russia on a military airport where Vladimir Putin’s Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bombers are based.

Footage shows a suspected modified S-200 missile in a massive explosion in the dark at or near Shaykovka military airfield, southwest of Moscow.

Russia claims to have shot down an S-200 missile. There is so far no independent information on the damage from the attack.

The bombing took place during what was possibly the busiest night of Ukrainian attacks on Russia and Russian territory during the war.

Moscow’s two major international airports – Vnukovo and Domodedovo – were closed, leading to significant disruptions to incoming and outgoing aircraft.

Russian air defenses were also in action in the Tula region, south of the capital, which borders the Kaluga region, amid suspected drone strikes.

In addition, according to Russian sources, a record 42 Ukrainian drones were aimed at the annexed Crimea peninsula in the Black Sea.

Nine were shot down and 33 were suppressed using electronic warfare, the Russian defense ministry said.

There was no independent evidence about the consequences of the massive drone strike.

It followed a daring attack by special forces that saw a Ukrainian flag raised in annexed Crimea after attacking Russian positions.

“An entire division was destroyed on Cape Tarkhankut in temporarily occupied Crimea,” Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said.

“Now it has stopped its work.”

Thirty Russian troops were ‘eliminated’ and four boats damaged.

The attack on Shaykovka military airfield followed Ukrainian claims that they had destroyed at least two nuclear-capable Tu-22M3 bombers in the previous days prior to the night attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry said: “An attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out terrorist attacks against civilian targets in the territory of the Russian Federation with a missile from the upgraded S-200 air defense system has been thwarted.”

The missile was “detected and destroyed by air defense systems over the territory of the Kaluga region.”

Ukraine this week claimed that previous attacks on Shaykovka and Soltsy airbases in the Novgorod region had resulted in the destruction of two Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bombers.

According to Ukrainian military intelligence chief Budanov, a total of 27 remained in service.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency, said: ‘At least one aircraft has been damaged.

“As in most cases, the Russian regime is trying to hide the true extent of the losses and damage.”

Kiev’s attacks on Shaykovka may have been in retaliation for Russia’s alleged launch of four Kh-22 air-to-air cruise missiles towards Ukraine on August 15.

Russia has used the base since the beginning of the war to launch its long-range bombers to attack targets.

The Tupolev Tu-22M3 was reportedly first deployed by Putin’s forces during the decimation of Mariupol.

A devastating two-month siege devastated the city last year, killing thousands of civilians and damaging or destroying roughly 90 percent of its buildings before Moscow claimed to have annexed the city.

The Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers, which took part in a relentless ‘carpet bombing’ campaign in Mariupol, have been described as a ‘staple’ of the Russian air force, with just over 60 of them now believed to be in service.