Ukraine’s military said Tuesday that it struck Russian-controlled airfields in occupied eastern and southeastern territories overnight.
Russian pro-war military bloggers backed up Kyiv’s claims, while Kremlin-backed officials in the occupied areas said the attacks were unsuccessful. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the reported strikes, which could not be independently verified, on airfields under its control.
“Ukraine’s Armed Forces carried out well-aimed strikes on enemy airfields and helicopters near temporarily occupied Luhansk and Berdiansk,” the Ukrainian military communications department said.
The airfields in the partially occupied Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions are less than 100 kilometers from the frontlines and play key roles for the Russian military.
An official in the Zaporizhzhia region’s Russian administration, Vladimir Rogov, claimed Russia’s air defense systems “successfully” repelled the Ukrainian missile attacks.
“A missile was shot down on the outskirts of [Berdiansk],” Rogov wrote on the messaging app Telegram.
He said he would provide details on casualties and damages later.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, without directly referring to the Luhansk and Berdiansk strikes, said it has destroyed two Russian helicopters, an ammunition depot and an artillery vehicle.
At least three Russian pro-war Telegram channels claimed the attacks used long-range army tactical missile systems (ATACMS), which the United States only agreed to provide to Ukraine last month.
Ukraine has targeted Moscow-occupied territories as well as regions within Russia with increasing frequency since launching its counteroffensive in June.