Ukraine said it destroyed at least six Russian fighter jets and damaged eight more in what could be one of the biggest drone attacks of the war, according to reports by multiple outlets.
The assault took place at the Morozovsk military airbase in Rostov in the early hours of Friday morning, according to unnamed Ukrainian officials speaking to news agencies including Reuters and AP.
Russia acknowledged a massive attack by drones, saying there were 44. However, it said it shot them all down and that only a power substation was damaged.
(It isn't unusual for Russia and Ukraine to give radically different assessments of whether an attack worked or not.)
Its defense ministry said the regions of Saratov, Kursk, Belgorod, and Krasnodar had also been targeted, according to the BBC.
A video of what appears to be part of the attack was shared on Telegram by former Ukrainian political advisor Anton Gerashchenko.
Business Insider was unable to independently verify the reports.
The reports didn't say which type of aircraft were destroyed.
However, a source told The Kyiv Independent that Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-27 fighters had been held at the base.
An anonymous source told Radio Liberty that Su-24 bombers were also stationed there.
In addition to the six aircraft that were destroyed, sources told the outlets that eight more were damaged. An estimated 20 Russian soldiers were killed or injured, according to the Kyiv Independent.
"This is an important special operation that will significantly reduce the combat potential of the (Russian forces)," a source told the Kyiv Independent.
A Ukrainian source also confirmed the operation to Sky News, saying the strike will "impede Russia's ability to conduct such strikes in the future and allow Ukrainian troops to push back Russian ground forces with a reduced threat of air attack."
Vasily Golubev, governor of the Rostov district, said that in the Morozovsky district, eight people were injured when an explosive device detonated on a fallen UAV and that an electrical substation was hit.
AP noted that this may be one of Ukraine's biggest drone attacks of the war. For comparison, Ukraine was previously thought to have taken out to 10 Russian planes in 10 days.
Representatives for the Ukrainian military, SBU, and the Russian military did not immediately respond to BI's requests for comment.
If true, the latest drone strike is a significant success for Ukraine. However, on the ground, things aren't going as well. A $60bn aid package for Ukraine is currently stuck in a congressional stand-off.
In an interview with Business Insider's Sinéad Baker, two Ukrainian soldiers urged its allies to continue supporting them and stressed that Europe could be next.
