LONDON (AP) — Ukraine announced that it successfully struck a Russian air base on Saturday, amidst an intensified bombing campaign from Russia that involved hundreds of drone attacks overnight. This military escalation has challenged hopes for a resolution in the ongoing conflict, which has surpassed three years.
According to Ukraine's military General Staff, the target was the Borisoglebsk air base located in Russia's Voronezh region, known as the home base for several Russian fighter jets, including the Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM. They reported that the strike hit a depot that housed glide bombs, a training aircraft, and potentially additional aircraft.
Russian officials have yet to respond to Ukraine's claims regarding the attack. Strikes on Russian air bases are part of Ukraine's strategy to undermine Russia's military capabilities while signaling its own ability to target significant military assets deep within Russian territory. In a surprise drone attack last month, Ukraine reported the destruction of over 40 Russian aircraft at various airfields across Russia.
In retaliation, Russia conducted a significant drone assault on Ukraine, deploying 322 drones and decoys overnight into Saturday. Ukrainian air force officials reported downing 157 of these drones, with another 135 likely falling victim to electronic jamming. The primary target of this attack was the western Khmelnytskyi region; however, no casualties or significant damage were reported according to Regional Governor Serhii Tyurin.
Russia has been escalating its long-range attacks, with recent drone and missile strikes focusing particularly on Kyiv. The assaults intensified overnight on Friday, marking the largest aerial assault since the start of the conflict. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported an increase in casualties from this attack, with two fatalities and 31 injuries documented.
Amidst this backdrop of conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared that he had a "very important and productive" phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday. They discussed options for enhancing Ukrainian air defenses, the potential for joint weapons production between the U.S. and Ukraine, and broader U.S.-led initiatives to resolve the war with Russia.
When asked about the possibility of ending the fighting, Trump expressed uncertainty, stating, "I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen." This conversation comes as the U.S. has paused certain shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including critical air defense missiles, prompting Ukraine's European allies to explore ways to compensate for this setback. Zelenskyy also mentioned plans to bolster Ukraine's domestic arms industry, although scaling up production would take time.
In response to Ukraine's drone activities, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 94 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday and an additional 45 throughout Saturday morning and early afternoon. Although no casualties were reported, officials in the Saratov region indicated that 25 apartments sustained damage due to Ukrainian drone strikes in the city of Engels. Furthermore, four Ukrainian drones were reportedly intercepted while approaching Moscow, which led to a brief suspension of air traffic at Sheremetyevo Airport as a precaution.
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