Russia confirmed the attack and said that two people were injured
Ukrainian forces destroyed two Russian Tu-142 naval aircraft and an Iskander ballistic missile system during a drone attack carried out in the early hours of Saturday against a military airfield in Taganrog, a Russian port city located on the Sea of Azov and more than a thousand kilometers from Kiev.
The information was provided by Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces who assigned the operation to the 1st Center of this unit, specialized in long-range attacks against military targets and energy infrastructures on Russian territory.
According to the official, the target was a military base located in Taganrog, in the Rostov region, where the two Tu-142 aircraft, maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft operated by the Russian navy, were parked.
These planes derive from the Tu-95 strategic bomber platform, frequently used by Moscow in massive cruise missile attacks against Ukrainian territory.
Russian Tu-142 flying over Saint Petersburg during rehearsals for the 2019 Navy Day parade (Getty)
In the same attack, an Iskander system was destroyed, one of the most relevant Russian tactical arsenals, capable of launching ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers.
This system has played a central role in Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, and is considered particularly difficult to intercept, except using the American-made Patriot system.
On the Russian side, the governor of the Rostov region, Yuri Slusar, confirmed via Telegram that the attack caused a fire in a fuel depot, an oil tanker and a building in the port of Taganrog. The officer also said that two people were injured.
Taganrog, located just over 40 kilometers from the border with the occupied part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, has repeatedly been the target of drone attacks. The last explosions in the city were recorded on the night of May 27th.
