The successful Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) strike on russia's Saky Air Base in temporarily occupied Crimea during the night of July 3 has now received independent confirmation. The newly released imagery also provides valuable insight into how Ukrainian drones are defeating russia's reinforced aircraft shelters.
The War Zone (TWZ) has published high-resolution satellite images provided by Vantor showing the aftermath of the attack. The photographs capture damage to the hardened concrete shelters that russia began constructing in 2024 at 14 air bases located within operational range of Ukraine.
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One of the clearest examples is the shelter visible in the upper-right section of the overview image, next to a Su-24 strike aircraft that russian forces had attempted to conceal with tires.
The satellite image clearly shows that the shelter's steel blast doors have been blown outward, with large metal panels scattered in front of the entrance.
Another shelter, located in the upper-left corner of the overview image, displays a direct impact mark on its metal doors. Fragments of the destroyed steel structure are also visible nearby.
Similar pieces of torn-off metal can be seen around several other shelters, strongly indicating that Ukrainian drones deliberately targeted the entrance doors rather than attempting to penetrate the reinforced concrete structure itself.
One shelter in the lower-right portion of the overview image appears to have sustained two separate impacts. One struck the blast doors, while the other appears to have hit the concrete structure itself.
A Su-30 fighter is parked beside that shelter. Although the available imagery is insufficient for a definitive assessment, the aircraft appears to have damage to its vertical stabilizer. One possible explanation is that it had already been damaged during the previous SBU strike against Saky Air Base on the night of July 1.
The imagery also shows four Su-24 bombers parked together in the upper-right section of the air base. All appear to have sustained damage severe enough to render them unflyable. However, those aircraft were most likely damaged during earlier attacks and now appear to be serving as decoys intended to attract future Ukrainian strikes.
Overall, the satellite imagery suggests that Ukrainian specialists have developed an effective method for neutralizing russia's new hardened aircraft shelters by targeting their blast doors. The exact specifications of these newly built structures remain unknown. However, standard Soviet A13 (AU-13) hardened aircraft shelters were equipped with steel blast doors approximately 50 millimeters thick. Even without penetrating the reinforced concrete roof, breaching or destroying the entrance significantly increases the vulnerability of any aircraft sheltered inside to blast effects, fragmentation, and follow-on strikes.
Read more: Ukraine Strikes Key Air Base in Crimea, Bridges and Ammunition Depots in Coordinated Overnight Operation
