Russia reports a UAV attack on a military airfield: planes damaged

19 August, 2023 Fire at the Russian Soltsy air base, August 19, 2023. Shot from social media The Russian Federation has reported an attack on a military airfield where Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers are based.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation made the corresponding statement. Officially, one plane is said to have been damaged, but Russian Telegram channels report that at least two aircraft were damaged. The Russian Defense Ministry said that on Saturday morning, August 19, the Soltsy military air base in the Novgorod region was attacked by a drone.

Ukraine has traditionally been accused of the attack. It is stated that a Russian airfield was attacked by a drone at around 10:00 a.m. Moscow time.

One aircraft was allegedly damaged as a result of the fire that occurred in the aircraft parking lot.

Fire at the Russian Soltsy air base, August 19, 2023. Photo from social media

The Russians claim that the drone allegedly detected an airfield surveillance post, after which it was fired upon with small arms in an attempt to shoot it down. After the drone crashed or hit the targeted object, a fire broke out, which was allegedly quickly extinguished.

No casualties among the invaders were reported. Despite official statements by the aggressor country's government, Russian media report that at least two aircraft were damaged at the airfield. At the time of the drone strike, there could have been 10-12 aircraft at the Russian air base.

Satellite image of the Russian Soltsy air base, August 6, 2023

Also, the eyewitnesses' photos show not an "ignition" but a large-scale fire at a Russian air base, the smoke from which rose high up and could be seen from afar.

Some time after the strike, at least two Tu-22M3 bombers took off from the airfield, which, according to preliminary data, were being relocated to the Olenya air base in the Murmansk region.

Location of the Russian Soltsy air base on the map

The Soltsy air base is a Russian military airfield in the Novgorod region of the Russian Federation, where Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers are temporarily based.

Tu-22?3 long-range supersonic missile carrier bomber

Russia regularly uses these aircraft for missile strikes against Ukraine.

These bombers are carriers of Kh-22 cruise missiles.