Russia reports destruction of eight Ukrainian warplanes
Two separate attacks by Russian forces have destroyed or disabled eight Ukrainian Air Force planes, the Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed on Thursday.
In one sortie, Russian warplanes launched precision munitions at a Ukrainian airfield near the city of Mirgorod in the central Poltava Region, military spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said during a daily briefing. Two warplanes, a Su-27 and a Su-24, were destroyed while two other Su-27s and a Su-24 were critically damaged in the raid, he said.
The Ukrainian military reported Russian strikes on “military infrastructure” in the city on Wednesday morning, but did not disclose the damage they caused. According to the Russian side, up to 30 “nationalists” were killed.
The second reported precision strike strike hit Dnepr military air base in Dnepropetrovsk Region, destroying three unspecified military aircraft, according to Konashenkov. As of Thursday, the ministry claims to have destroyed a total of 273 Ukrainian military planes since launching the operation in February.
The Russian official also confirmed a strike on a train station in the Ukrainian town of Chaplino, but disputed Kiev’s claims about the nature of the target. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stated on Wednesday evening that the attack had killed 22 civilians, including an 11-year-old child. His office updated the death toll on Thursday to 25.
Konashenkov said that an Iskander missile hit a train carrying Ukrainian troops and weapons eastward. He claimed that the strike killed more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 10 military vehicles.
