On the night of May 15, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched another strike on the Belbek airfield, controlled by russian forces in temporarily occupied Crimea. While official confirmation is pending, several photos and videos circulating online suggest an attack on the airbase.
The main explosions near the Belbek air base occurred around 01:55-01:56, followed by what appeared to be the detonation of ammunition. A second wave of the attack lasted until 02:35, with explosions heard in Yevpatoria and the Bakhchysarai district.
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The Ministry of Defense of russia claimed that all targets were intercepted, stating that ten operational-tactical missiles (referring to ATACMS), two AGM-88 HARMs and two AASM Hammer bombs were destroyed over Crimea.
However, OSINT specialist OSINTtechnical reported on X that NASA’s FIRMS orbital fire monitoring system detected several fires at the Belbek air base on the night of May 15, lasting about two hours, primarily in the southern part of the airfield.
The CyberBoroshno channel had previously posted satellite images from March 31, showing detailed aircraft locations at the airbase, noting that some aircraft might be in shelters. The airbase reportedly houses 24 planes and six helicopters, excluding those potentially in shelters. By comparing these images with the fire map of the airfield’s territory after the strike, it is inferred that the ATACMS might have primarily targeted MiG-31 aircraft, although these satellite images are over two weeks old.
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