Ukrainian Forces strike Saky airfield in Crimea, reportedly hitting command post and damaging aircraft
On the night of January 6, Ukraine carried out an attack on the Saky military airfield in Crimea. According to the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, a command post at the airfield was hit. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that four "aviation guided missiles" were intercepted and destroyed over the peninsula.
The news outlet Astra, referring to its sources, reports that one serviceman was wounded and another is trapped under debris. In the town of Mikhaylovka, close to the Saky airfield, debris fell on a private house causing a fire, according to the "Crimean Wind" Telegram channel, which cited information from its subscribers. The channel's authors also reported at least ten explosions in Yevpatoria. Explosions were also heard in the towns of Saky and Novofedorivka.
Open source data indicates that Saky is a first-class military airfield in Crimea, home to the Nitka (Thread) training complex for naval aviation pilots. Since 2014, the 43rd Independent Naval Assault Aviation Regiment has been stationed at the airfield, equipped with Su-24M and Su-30SM aircraft.
On August 9, 2022, explosions at the airfield destroyed between 7 and 11 Su-24 and Su-30 aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that ammunition detonation caused the incident. However, the Ukrainian side claims the blasts were the result of an operation by Ukrainian special forces.
Another attack on the airfield occurred in September 2023. Ukrainian media, citing their sources, reported that at least 12 combat aircraft, Su-24s and Su-30s, as well as a Pantsir missile system, were present at the airfield during the attack. Drones reportedly overwhelmed the Russian air-defense system which was followed by the launch of Neptune missiles. As a result, the Russian equipment was seriously damaged, the sources claim.