Satellite images of the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Russia’s Voronezh Region have appeared online, the apparent result of a missile strike by Ukraine. Ukraine’s Navy previously said six Russian Su-34M fighter-bombers were damaged in an overnight Oct. 15 attack that used Neptune missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said four aircraft were destroyed and two more were damaged.
The BBC Russian Service published Airbus Defence and Space satellite images obtained by Reuters. The first image, taken before the strike, shows six aircraft at the airfield. The second image is blurred but shows signs of a strike in the aircraft parking area.
The open source intelligence (OSINT) channel Dnipro Osint ⟨Harbuz⟩ marked what it said were the locations of six aircraft struck in the Ukrainian attack.
The Telegram channel AviVector, analyzing the Airbus Defence and Space imagery, said four Su-34s were destroyed. It said two other marks visible at bomber parking positions were traces from engine starts that predated the attack.
The pro-war Russian Telegram channel Voyenny Osvedomitel, citing the same satellite images, said that “in the worst-case scenario, as many as three to four Su-34 bombers parked at the epicenter of the explosion may have been lost, while two more may have been damaged.”
Russian pro-war Telegram channels criticized the practice of parking military aircraft close together in open areas rather than inside protective shelters, as well as what they described as inadequate camouflage and substandard cleanup efforts after strikes. They also pointed to the lack of information from Russian authorities about the condition of the aircraft.
Prior to the circulation of the satellite images, the Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+ published several photos and videos that it said were recorded by residents of Borisoglebsk. The footage shows bright flashes and a glow in the sky, while a powerful explosion can be heard in the recordings. The channel linked the footage to the attack on the military airfield.
The Borisoglebsk airfield is located around 6 kilometers east of the city of the same name in the Voronezh Region.
The Su-34 is a Russian fighter-bomber used, among other missions, to strike Ukrainian positions and cities with guided aerial bombs. The Su-34M is modernized version of the aircraft.
