Ukraine’s military on Saturday took credit for a precision attack on Russia’s Borisoglebsk air base in the Voronezh region, hitting primary fighter aircraft and munitions in an attempt to cripple Moscow’s air war efforts again. The attack struck a store of glide bombs, a training plane, and possibly other military equipment, though Russian officials made no comment.
The attack is happening against a background of intense ramping up of hostilities, with Russia firing a massive salvo of 322 drones and decoys overnight into Saturday. Ukraine’s air force said they had downed 157 drones, while 135 would most likely have been jammed electronically. The western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target, although no casualties or destruction were reported, a local official said.
Kyiv is still subjected to constant aerial bombing. Overnight into Friday, the capital saw its most dramatic bombardment yet since the conflict started. Two civilians were confirmed killed and at least 31 others wounded, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Saturday.
The new wave of violence comes after a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, during which the presidents spoke of reinforcing Ukraine’s air defence and increasing co-production of weapons. Trump later called the call “very good,” although he confirmed he was in the dark about prospects for halting the war.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry reported intercepting nearly 140 Ukrainian drones across various regions on Saturday. In Engels, drone debris damaged 25 apartment units, though no injuries were reported. Four additional drones were downed en route to Moscow, prompting a temporary suspension of flights at Sheremetyevo Airport.
As Western deliveries of aid begin to slack, Ukraine turns to boost homegrown arms production a process officials caution will be slow while preparing for further Russian assaults intended to wear out its defences and morale. The fighting, in its fourth year, continues unrelenting.
