Russia confirms explosion at two airbases as Kyiv finds way to target long-range bombers

Amid the ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, two Russian airbases distant from the frontlines were jolted by explosions when Ukraine executed a pre-emptive strike on aircraft that the Kremlin has employed to try to disrupt the Ukrainian electrical infrastructure. Further, the strikes were acknowledged by the Russian defence ministry on Monday. It said two of its airplanes had been damaged while intercepting two Ukrainian drones. According to a statement from the defence ministry, two aircraft were slightly damaged after debris fell from the unmanned vehicles, BBC reported.  

According to reports in the Russian media and videos shared on social media, an explosion happened early on Monday at the Engels-2 airfield in the Saratov region of Russia, which is home to Tu-95 bombers that have participated in cruise missile strikes on Ukraine. 

As per The Guardian report, for Kyiv, the attack was an unprecedented operation deep within Russia intended to thwart the Kremlin's plan to incite a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine as winter approached. 

Ukrainian drones were detected over two Russian military airfields

Furthermore, Russia reported on Monday that Ukrainian drones were detected by Russian air defences over two military airfields in Russia, hundreds of kilometers from the two nations' border. Less than 150 miles from Moscow, in the vicinity of Ryazan, at the Dyagilevo military airfield, there was yet another explosion. Russian official media stated that a gasoline truck explosion resulted in three fatalities and five injuries. Long-range bombers Tu-95 are also housed at that location. 

Meanwhile, after the airbase explosions, Russia quickly launched a massive attack against Ukraine using missiles launched from the Black and Caspian Seas. Further, a new record for the efficacy of its air defence systems was set by Ukraine, which claimed to have shot down 60 of the total 70 approaching missiles. According to the Russian defense ministry, 17 targets were hit.  

During the missile launch, air raid sirens rang in Kyiv, and residents sought refuge in underground metro stations, but no missiles struck the city, and three hours later the all-clear signal was given. Even though the strikes caused widespread blackouts in several areas of the nation at well-below-freezing temperatures, they did not appear to have had the same impact on the Ukrainian power infrastructure as the last Russian bulk missile attack on November 23. 

According to reports, two persons were killed and three more were injured in southern Ukraine when at least one missile struck a home in Zaporizhzhia. Mykolaiv experienced power outages, and Odesa experienced problems with its water supply. 

(Image: AP)