(TAGANROG, ROSTOV OBLAST) – Russia has lost nine aircraft in less than a week, marking a significant blow to its aviation forces as Ukrainian strikes continue to target airbases and military infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.
Satellite imagery has confirmed the destruction of two additional Russian helicopters at Taganrog Air Base in Rostov Oblast. The images show a Mi-35 helicopter, an export version of the Mi-24, and a Mi-8 helicopter destroyed in a strike on 7th September 2026.
The loss of one Su-35S fighter has also been confirmed. Two Su-35S aircraft were reported to have collided with each other, and a photograph shared online shows the wreckage of one of them. The second aircraft has not yet been visually confirmed, though the collision was reported by a Russian fighter bomber source considered more reliable than official channels.
Russia had approximately 300 Mi-8 helicopters in service at the start of the war, with 52 destroyed so far and seven electronic warfare variants lost. For the Mi-35 and Mi-24 variants, 10 have been destroyed, with an additional eight Mi-24s lost. Russia had 323 of these helicopters in service at the start of the invasion.
On 9th September, Ukraine announced the destruction of an Su-33 naval fighter in a drone strike, though video confirmation is still pending. Days earlier, an Su-24 bomber was destroyed at an airfield in Crimea.
The Su-24 strike was captured on video. Analysis suggests the aircraft may have been decommissioned and used for spare parts, though it was likely missing its vertical stabiliser. The strike prevents Russia from salvaging further components from the airframe. Russia has 273 Su-24s officially in service, though the number actually airworthy is estimated at between 100 and 180. The rest are used for spare parts.
The strike at Taganrog also damaged air defence systems. Analysis identified damage to the radar of an SA-21 system, better known as the S-400, and an SA-22 system, also known as the Pantsir.
Taganrog Air Base is located in the Rostov area and is a regular target for Ukrainian drones. The base hosts helicopters and air defence systems used to support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.
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