Russia-Ukraine war: Exclusive satellite images reveal destroyed jets and buildings at Belbek Air Base

CNN
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Satellite images obtained exclusively by CNN show three destroyed Russian fighter jets and damaged buildings at Belbek Air Base in the occupied port city of Sevastopol on Wednesday.

The hardware loss occurred after two days of attacks by Ukrainians on Sevastopol in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Images taken by US satellite imaging company BlackSky and space technology company Maxar show two jets burnt out on Belbecq’s main flight line, and a third jetliner parked on a seawall. Satellite images also show a nearby destroyed building and another building with significant damage.

Russian-appointed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said in a telegram on Friday that the Russians “succeeded in repelling a large-scale enemy attack on Sevastopol.” Razbodyaev said “dozens” of unmanned aerial vehicles and “more than five maritime drones were destroyed.” It added that the city suffered a partial power outage after debris from the drone fell on a power substation.

The attack is the second time Belbek has been targeted by Ukrainians in the past 48 hours.

In response to a question about a possible Belbek attack by Ukrainian forces, Dmytro Pletentchuk, a spokesman for the southern Ukrainian military, said on Thursday: “At the moment we have no confirmed information, so we cannot release details.” CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian military for the latest information.

Atesh, a Ukrainian rebel group in Crimea, claimed in a telegram after the second attack that an artillery warehouse at the Belbek airfield had been damaged.

“Significant damage to the airfield infrastructure due to the secondary explosion was also recorded,” the report said.

However, satellite images seen by CNN showed no evidence that the missile or artillery weapons depot had been attacked or that a secondary explosion had taken place.

Although Moscow appears to have the upper hand in ground operations these days, Kiev’s forces have continued to have success targeting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet with missile and maritime drone strikes.

Ukraine announced in March that it had attacked two Russian naval vessels, a communications center belonging to the Black Sea Fleet, and several other facilities in a large-scale night attack. Ukraine said the two amphibious landing ships Yamal and Azov were involved in the collision.

Currently, more than 20 Russian naval vessels are inoperable or destroyed, equivalent to one-third of the entire fleet. Ukraine has virtually no navy of its own, but innovation, audacity, and Russian incompetence have given it the upper hand in much of the Black Sea. In October last year, satellite images showed Russia moving some naval vessels away from Sevastopol following a series of attacks on Ukraine.

The attack in Belbek comes as Russia moves into northeastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that all efforts will be made in the coming days to ensure his troops defend against a surprise attack in the Kharkiv region. I have decided to postpone my participation in international events.

The attack is the most serious cross-border ground attack since Ukraine recaptured the Kharkiv region in late summer 2022. The attack comes as Ukrainians struggle with thin troops, artillery and inadequate air defenses while waiting for much-needed ammunition and promised weapons. This is part of a long-delayed $2 billion US military funding plan.

Russian forces have captured more than nine villages near the border since Moscow’s invasion began. The town of Vovchansk, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting.

However, NATO believes that the Russian military does not have the necessary forces for a “strategic” breakthrough in Kharkov, the military alliance’s senior commander said on Thursday.

Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said at a press conference in Brussels that Russian forces have the “capability to advance locally,” but “we don’t have the ability to do that and carry out operations on a large scale.” They don’t have the skills and ability.” Required to leverage breakthroughs to strategic advantage. ”

Zelenskyy met with senior military officials in Kharkiv early Thursday. He said the outlook for Kiev’s forces on the ground, “we are reinforcing our forces,” was “very difficult.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, pledging to deepen their strategic partnership in a clear sign of deepening ties between the two countries.

Since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian economy has become increasingly dependent on China, and the comprehensive joint statement specifically addresses Ukraine on a number of issues including energy, trade, security, and geopolitics. The two countries announced cooperation.

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