(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukrainian forces have destroyed or damaged three Russian aircraft, three anti-aircraft missile systems, and at least 11 air defence radars over a 48 hour period, with most strikes occurring inside Russian territory rather than occupied Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces released footage documenting strikes on the nights of 23rd and 24th August 2026. The attacks targeted airfields and air defence installations across the Rostov region, Krasnodar region, and occupied Crimea.
According to the Unmanned Systems Forces, 11 out of 14 targets were successfully hit in the Rostov and Krasnodar regions of Russia, while the remaining three were located in Crimea. All 14 targets were situated in territory Russia has controlled for at least 12 years.
“Three units of enemy air assets have been neutralised,” the Unmanned Systems Forces reported. The targets included a Su-33 aircraft, a MiG-29 fighter, an Orion drone, eight radar stations, an S-400 air defence division, and two Pantsir anti-aircraft missile gun complexes.
Additional strikes hit the Kaminsky defence industrial plant for solid rocket fuel production, a MiG-29 fighter at the Morozovsk airfield, four radar stations in the Rostov region and Crimea, an oil depot in Krasnodar, and the Archangel drone school, a relay station for Geran Shahed drones.
Russian military sources have partially confirmed the strikes, with one prominent military blogger lamenting that airfields remain vulnerable. “At the Morozovsk air base, enemy drones also targeted what appeared to be a mockup of a KA-52 helicopter and another MiG-29, which was likely also used as a decoy, as the rest of the aircraft are presumably stored in hangars,” the source stated.
The strikes demonstrate significant degradation of Russian air defence capabilities. “The fact that these are striking inside of Russian territory shows how much Russian air defence has been degraded in recent years,” military blogger Preston Stewart noted.
Ukraine has adopted a strategy of identifying corridors where Russian air defence coverage has been reduced, then routing drones through these gaps to strike high-value targets including airfields, power infrastructure, refineries, and logistics hubs.
Russian officials have consistently attributed damage to falling drone debris rather than direct hits. The governor of Russia’s Orenburg region claimed two industrial facilities, including an Ozon warehouse, were hit by drone debris. However, video evidence circulating online shows direct impacts.
“Videos circulating online show a direct hit and a still frame from one of those videos doesn’t resemble debris at all,” noted the Russian military channel Two Majors.
This pattern of reporting has raised questions about Russian military accountability. “If the reports focus on intercepts and debris, it suggests that the air defence system is working effectively and no further action is needed,” Two Majors stated.
The strikes coincide with the announcement that the United Kingdom will share Storm Shadow cruise missile blueprints with Ukraine. Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed the agreement during his first official visit to Kyiv.
The Storm Shadow and its French equivalent, the SCALP, offer approximately 550 kilometres of range with a 450 kilogram warhead. The technology transfer would allow Ukraine to manufacture these missiles domestically.
Ukraine has already developed its own long-range systems, including the FP-5 Flamingo with a reported 3,000 kilometre range and 1,000 kilogram warhead. However, analysts note these are different classes of weapons suited to different targets.
“The manufacturer or the production of these Storm Shadow or SCALP missiles inside of Ukraine is something. It’s a different weapon system than the Flamingo. It’s going to be going after different targets,” Preston argued.
Russian state media has dismissed the announcement. “Against the backdrop of the holiday for Zelenskyy, Burnham’s statement looks like a kind of gift. Here, rejoice. We’ll give you a promise. But how it will work out in practice, no one knows yet,” wrote the Russian channel Rybar.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised the possibility of Elon Musk enabling Starlink coverage over Russian territory to support Ukrainian strike operations against missile launchers.
“So far, Musk has said that this constitutes an escalation. However, he may soon change his mind once he sees further arguments,” President Zelenskyy stated.
The Ukrainian leader noted that providing Starlink for deep strike operations could reduce “precisely those capabilities that Russia is relying on to drag out this war.”
The footage of the strikes was released by the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces.
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