A Russian Tu-134 military transport aircraft was set on fire at a military airfield in Orenburg Oblast overnight on Oct. 13, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported.
"Such Soviet aircraft are used, in particular, to transport the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry," HUR said.
According to the agency, the plane, which belonged to the 117th Military Transport Aviation Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces, burned to the ground at the Orenburg-2 military airfield.
The airfield is located 6 kilometers (3 miles) southwest of the Russian city of Orenburg. The city lies roughly 1,250 kilometers (780 miles) from the front line in Ukraine and 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Russia-Kazakhstan border.
HUR shared footage of the fire without claiming responsibility for the incident.
"Every crime against the Ukrainian people will be duly punished," the agency added.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the report.
The Tupolev Tu-134 is a twin-engined airliner produced in the Soviet Union from 1966-89. Following the crash of a Tu-134 in 2011, which killed 47 people, it was fully withdrawn from commercial service in 2019.
VIP private jet versions are still available to buy in Russia, with one currently listed online at $2.5 million.
Ukraine has carried out a number of strikes against airbases in an effort to weaken the more powerful Russian Air Force.
Russia's Khanskaya military airfield in the Adygea Republic was targeted last week, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed. During the attack, 57 warplanes, trainer aircraft, and helicopters were based at the airfield, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
