Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on national television on Aug. 6 that Russia's latest attempt to attack the airfield in Starokostiantyniv in Khmelnytskyi Oblast was ineffective because there are protocols in place to protect aircraft.
"This is not the first time this airfield has been attacked. It serves as the home base for a tactical aviation brigade. However, our aviation is quite mobile, and our pilots know how to counter the enemy under these conditions," Ihnat said.
"We have dozens of operational airfields within our country's territory. Therefore, it won't be so easy for the enemy to destroy our aviation," he added.
Russia launched another mass missile and drone attack against Ukraine on the night of Aug. 5 and the early morning of Aug. 6, targeting several regions including Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv oblasts.
The Air Force reported earlier on Aug. 6 that 30 missiles and 27 drones were shot down by air defense.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion last year, Ukraine has had to hone its air defense capabilities to counter an onslaught of Russian attacks.
In a message to commemorate Ukraine's Air Force Day on Aug. 6, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that over 3,500 Russian aerial targets have been destroyed since the start of the full-scale invasion.
These targets include 350 aircraft and helicopters, 1,200 cruise missiles, 24 ballistic missiles, 13 Kinzhal missiles, and more than 2,000 drones.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
