Russian Fighter Jets and Helicopters Destroyed in Coordinated Drone Strikes

(CHELYABINSK, RUSSIA) – Ukrainian drones struck a military airbase deep inside Russian territory on Thursday, destroying at least two fighter jets and shattering the Kremlin’s assertion that its strategic rear areas remain secure.

The attack on the Shagol airbase in Chelyabinsk, approximately 1,700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border near the Ural Mountains, resulted in the confirmed destruction of a Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bomber and a Sukhoi Su-57 multirole fighter. Internal reports from drone operators suggest the total number of aircraft destroyed may be as high as four. Satellite imagery has corroborated the loss of at least two jets.

In a separate operation, Ukrainian drones also neutralised two combat helicopters, an Mi-8 and an Mi-28, at a military base in Voronezh. The helicopters were reportedly undergoing maintenance and refuelling procedures at the time of the strike.

The Chelyabinsk attack demonstrates the expanding operational reach of Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems. The Ural Mountains region was traditionally regarded as the safest zone in the Russian Federation, with military industry relocated there during the Second World War for this reason. The successful strike indicates that Moscow’s air defence network is incapable of protecting strategic military assets even in areas historically considered immune from external attack.

The destruction of the helicopters in Voronezh, an area close to the active front line, further depletes Russia’s limited fleet of rotary wing combat aircraft.