Ukrainian drone strike hits key Russian air base in Primorsko-Akhtarsk

The General Staff in Kyiv reported that the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces attacked the airport in Russian Primorsko-Akhtarsk. Russians used this facility to launch strike drones targeting Ukrainian locations.

It serves as an operational base for aircraft, where Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles are stored, prepared, and launched into Ukrainian territory. It also provides technical support for aircraft conducting missions in the Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts, according to the communiqué.

Explosions were reported at the airport in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, resulting in a fire. The General Staff of Ukraine announced the continuation of strikes on targets linked to Russian armed aggression and the terrorizing of the civilian population.

As recently as Wednesday, in the daily communiqué of the Ukrainian Air Force, Primorsko-Akhtarsk was mentioned as one of the launch sites for drones attacking Ukraine. By Thursday morning, this airport was no longer listed in the communication.

On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the Russians released 77 drones from the vicinity of the cities of Orel, Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, and Shatalovo. Ukrainian forces shot down 56 of them, and 18 were neutralized using electronic warfare means.

Attacks on military recruitment offices

Andriy Kovalenko from the government's Center for Countering Disinformation noted that Russia's GRU and FSB oversee operations targeted at military personnel and attacks on recruitment offices.

At the same time, a media campaign, ongoing since 2022, is intensifying, with Russians making significant efforts to weaken mobilization and infiltrate media, Kovalenko said.

Russian services recruit mainly teenagers, unemployed individuals, and persons with legal issues, such as drug dealers, for attacks. In two cases, the perpetrators were eliminated after completing their tasks.