Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Wednesday show seven destroyed bombers on the tarmac at a Russian air base in eastern Siberia, one of the targets Ukraine said it struck with drones in one of the most daring covert operations of the war.
The photos provided by Planet Labs PBC show aircraft wreckage and scorched areas at the Belaya Air Base, a major installation for Russia’s long-range bomber force. In the images, at least three Tu-95 bombers and four Tu-22Ms appear to be destroyed.
Ukraine said that 41 Russian warplanes, including strategic bombers and other types of combat aircraft, were destroyed or damaged in Sunday’s operation, which officials said was planned over 18 months. The attack delivered a heavy blow to Russia’s air force and its military prestige.
It has so far been impossible to confirm the full extent of the damage.
It’s so fucking sad to see some of the bombers still sitting there not destroyed.
It’s possible they’ve still been damaged enough to be unusable. Heat and/or shrapnel from those airplanes that burned could have easily caused damage that these satellites can’t see.
If nothing else, they’ll have to be taken out of commission for a while to be thoroughly inspected and tested.