Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft at the Pskov air base were attacked by drones launched from Russia, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said in an exclusive interview with The War Zone.
“We are operating from Russian territory,” Budanov said, without specifying whether the attack was carried out by GUR officers or Russian partisans.
He also declined to comment on which drones were used and how many.
In his assessment of the combat damage, Budanov reported that “two were destroyed and two seriously damaged.”
In addition, The War Zone project was able to obtain a picture from an intelligence source showing the direct result of one of the strikes. According to the publication, the fuel on board may have been the reason that the other two burned out completely.
The War Zone believes the images indicate that the bombs were most likely dropped by a drone or drones under local control, which is in line with Budanov’s comments that it was a strike inside Russia, probably very close to the base and not using autonomous long-range drones.
“This successful attack raises additional questions about the means of protection of the Russian forces and their ability to counter the actions of drones on the objects of domestic air bases,” writes War Zone.
After last month’s attack on the Soltsy-2 airbase in Russia, GUR spokesman Andrei Yusov told The War Zone that it was carried out at the direction of the GUR by people inside Russia. Russian officials later ordered increased patrols around the base, looking for personnel and any equipment they might use.
Il-76s are the backbone of Russian military aviation. Budanov noted that the Main Intelligence Directorate specifically targeted these aircraft because they are in working order and are used for “transporting military cargo and paratroopers from the Airborne Forces.”
Source : interfax
