The Morozovsk airfield, located in Russia's Rostov Oblast, was attacked by at least 70 drones on June 13, the War Zone media outlet said on June 14, citing Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.
Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev said the previous day that Russian air defense units faced a "mass attack" of drones, which caused a fire and disruptions to the local power supply.
Russia's Defense Ministry then said that 70 drones had been shot down over the oblast.
Budanov said that he was "waiting for information" about the extent of the damage caused at the airfield, which satellite imagery has confirmed hosts Su-34 fighter jets.
The War Zone republished satellite imagery from Planet Labs, which showed both jets at the airfield before the attack and some subsequent evidence of damage caused.
Russian Telegram channels conceded that the attack on the airbase had occurred, but some claimed that all the drones had been downed, while others claimed that some had struck the airbase and possibly killed as many as six pilots.
The claims could not be independently verified, and Budanov did not comment on possible casualties.
It was not the first reported attack on the Morozovsk airbase, which is located some 180 kilometers (111 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Sources confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that drones had struck the airbase in April in a joint operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian military.
At least six military aircraft were destroyed, and another eight were damaged, according to the source. Furthermore, about 20 Russian soldiers were reportedly killed or wounded.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the information.
When asked if Ukraine planned to attack the airbase again, Budanov said "yes."
Alexander Khrebet
(Updated: )
