Millerovo air base attack

Millerovo air base attack
Part of the spillover in Western Russia of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date 25 February 2022 (2022-02-25) Location Millerovo air base, Millerovo, Rostov Oblast, Russia 48°57′08″N40°18′08″E / 48.95222°N 40.30222°E / 48.95222; 40.30222
Belligerents
Ukraine	Russia
Units involved
Armed Forces of Ukraine 19th Missile Brigade	Russian Armed Forces   Russian Air Force 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army 31st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment [1]
Strength
Several OTR-21 Tochka	Two squadrons of Su-30SM [2] [3]
Casualties and losses
None	One Su-30SM destroyed Several people wounded Ukrainian claim: At least two Su-30SMs destroyed
Millerovo class=notpageimage| Location within Rostov Oblast

On 25 February 2022, the Russian air base in Millerovo, Rostov Oblast, Russia, was attacked by Ukrainian forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to some Ukrainian officials, Ukrainian military forces attacked the Millerovo air base with OTR-21 Tochka missiles, destroying Russian Air Force planes and setting the airbase on fire. ^{[4] [5]}

Background

Millerovo is a town in Rostov Oblast in Russia, about 60 kilometers from Luhansk, a territory in the Donbas region bordering Russia and partially Russian-rebel held since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War. ^[4]

Attack

A local law enforcement agency source told local outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda that a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile had hit the facility. Another local outlet, Rostov Gazeta, reported that the attack was carried out by Ukrainian armed formations. ^[6]

Analysis

Editor-in-chief edition of Ukrainian largest online media Censor.net Yuriy Butusov called the attack "One of the most successful Armed Forces of Ukraine operations in the history of war" and "defeat, which Putin will not be able to hide". ^{[7] [8]}

The attack, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not officially comment on, was reportedly launched in response to the shelling of Ukrainian cities by Russian forces.^{[ citation needed ]}

Aftermath

Multiple people were reported to be wounded, ^[9] and one pilot reportedly died later of his wounds. ^[10] At least one Sukhoi Su-30SM was destroyed on the ground per tweeted images. ^[11] However, Ukrainian officials and military experts have claimed that at least two Russian Su-30SM fighters were destroyed on the ground. ^[12]

NASA's FIRMS imagery from 20 July 2024 00:01:00 (UTC) showing fires at Millerovo air base

The airfield was bombed again by Ukraine on 20 July 2024 in a drone strike, with several fires seen on the runway by locals. ^[13]

See also

• Great Raid of 2014

References

1. "Ukraine reportedly strikes Russian airbase". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
2. "Russian Air Force today – Russian Southern Military District". Eastern Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
3. AirForces Monthly . Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2022. p. 42.
4. Dutton, Jack (25 February 2022). "Russian Military Base Blown Up as Ukraine Fights Back". Newsweek . Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
5. "Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Millerovo with Tochka-U". RostovGazeta. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
6. Lonas, Lexi (25 February 2022). "Ukrainian forces target Russian airfield near border: report". The Hill . Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
7. "Україна у відповідь на обстріл українських міст завдала ракетного удару по російській авіабазі Міллерово — Бутусов". nv.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
8. Бутусов, Юрій (25 February 2022). "Юрій Бутусов: Одна з найуспішніших операцій ЗСУ в історії війни". OBOZREVATEL NEWS (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
9. "Residents of Rostov Oblast reported shelling of the Millerovo military airbase". Caucasus.Realities. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
10. "Во время спецоперации погиб пилот, служивший в Ростовской области". Donday (in Russian).
11. "Ukrainian missile strike destroyed Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM at Millerovo". World Fighter Jets. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
12. Gabedava, Tatyana (25 February 2022). "Ukraine in response to the shelling of Ukrainian cities launched a missile attack on the Russian airbase Millerovo -Butusov". Novoye Vremya. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
13. "Millerov airfield burns in Rostov region after drone attack | УНН". unn.ua. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.