kraine's long-range drones attack on the Savasleyka air base in russia has not only left the MiG-31K, the carriers of Kh-47 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, without their special type of fuel but also hit at least one of the aircraft itself. This is evidenced by a video filmed by the russian personnel on the site during this air attack.
The moment when a Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit the aircraft parking lot of the Russian Air Force at the Savasleyka airfield this morning pic.twitter.com/C27AU6kjul— MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) August 14, 2024
The footage shows russian air defense trying to repel the Liutyi aerial drones, an IL-76 aircraft (or possibly a Tu-134UBL trainer jet) is visible as well as the tail of a MiG-31. No less important detail is that this airfield hosts active aircraft because, otherwise, it would have a characteristic aircraft graveyard nearby — a special area designated for decommissioned planes, traditional for a russian military aerodrome layout.
Read more: Ukrainian Strikes on Voronezh, Borisoglebsk and Savasleyka Air Bases Compromise russia’s Ability to Launch the Kinzhal Missiles
This leads to another crucial detail, because the fact these operational Il-76 and MiG-31 were on the ground means that the attack caught the russians by surprise. They didn't manage to get the aircraft into the air and relocate them before it happened, so they ended up under attack. Though we should note that currently it is impossible to identify if that was a MiG-31B interceptor or a MiG-31K, a derivative remodeled to carry the Kinzhal missile.
Evidently, there are no shelters at this air base and only three aprons for aircraft are available, meaning that the probability of Ukrainian explosive drones landing on more than one MiG-31 is quite high.
The appearance of credible data about the consequences of this Ukrainian drone raid is anticipated in the near future, particularly satellite imagery and more videos from the site which both Ukrainian and russian sides tend to publish a few days after post factum after everything is properly assessed and confirmed. After all, that is how the aftermath of the recent Ukrainian strike on the Morozovsk air base became known to the public.
Read more: The Ukrainian Air Force Downs russian Su-34 Fighter-Bomber in Kursk
