Militarnyi reports that a Ukrainian drone strike on 30 August 2025 destroyed two Russian helicopter gunships at the airfield in occupied Crimea’s capital, Simferopol. Satellite imagery published by the AviaVector X account confirmed the destruction of a Mi-8 and a Mi-24 helicopter at the site.

Satellite confirms two helicopters destroyed in occupied Crimea

According to Militarnyi, the drone attack took place at approximately 06:30 on 30 August, when Russian monitoring channels began reporting the movement of drones toward Simferopol. Following the reports, a powerful explosion occurred at the airport, followed by thick black smoke.

AviaVector’s satellite imagery captured on the same day showed two attack helicopters destroyed as a result of the strike. An earlier image from 22 August showed a group of military aircraft stationed close together at the airfield. Specifically, the photo documented five Mi-8 helicopters, three Mi-24s, one An-26, and one Tu-134UBL. Militarnyi notes that all these aircraft were concentrated in a small area.

Initial claims after the explosion suggested that aviation fuel tanks had been hit, but this information was later proven false. The satellite images confirmed that the damage involved airframes, not fuel infrastructure.

Russian Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters among the destroyed aircraft

Mi-8 helicopters are currently in wide use by the Russian Armed Forces and are the main transport helicopter in Russian military service. The exact model of the Mi-8 destroyed in Simferopol is unknown. However, Mi-8 helicopters are used by Russian forces for troop transport, strike missions, air defense tasks, and operations against Ukrainian naval drones.

Prior confirmed case of drone-launched missile strike on Mi-8s

On 31 December 2024, Ukrainian forces destroyed two Mi-8 helicopters using R-73 air-to-air missiles launched from a sea-based drone. This was the first confirmed use of this method to eliminate an airborne target.

Ukraine targeted the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight on July 5, damaging a warehouse with guided bombs, aircraft, and other military assets, Ukraine's General Staff reported.

The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets thatRussia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine, according to the military. The strike may have destroyed a training and combat aircraft, with further assessments underway.

The NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected a fire near the Borisoglebsk military airfield shortly after the strike. Residents in the area reported 8–10 powerful explosions around 2 a.m. local time, according to Russian independent outlet Astra.

The strike was part of a broader overnight drone campaign across Russia, with explosions and fires reported in at least six regions.

The Russian Defense Ministry said 42 drones were intercepted within a three-hour period, most of them over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts, which border Ukraine.

Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko said two drones were downed south of St. Petersburg, prompting a temporary suspension of flights at Pulkovo airport. No casualties or damage were reported.

The governor of the Smolensk Oblast in western Russia said anti-aircraft units downed three drones without casualties or damage. The governor of the Voronezh Oblast, bordering Ukraine, also confirmed the destruction of several drones.

Explosions were also heard overnight in Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic, where video footage shared online showed a fire reportedly at a local industrial site.

Additionally, explosions were heard during the night in Engels, Saratov Oblast, with some Telegram channels suggesting a military airfield was likely targeted.

The attacks come as Russia escalates aerial assaults on Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to increase long-range drone strikes on Russian military targets.

Ukrainian officials say these drone operations aim to undermine Russia's strike capabilities and bring the war closer to those enabling the Kremlin's campaign.

Ukrainian drones struck four Su-34 fighter jets at the Marinovka airfield in Russia's Volgograd Oblast overnight on June 27, Ukraine's General Staff said.

The operation was carried out by the Special Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in cooperation with other military units, according to the General Staff.

Volgograd Oblast is located some 900 kilometers (560 miles) southeast of Moscow.

According to preliminary data, two Russian fighter jets were destroyed, and the other two were damaged. Russia uses such aircraft to bomb Ukraine, particularly to drop guided aerial bombs, the General Staff said.

The attack also caused a fire in the airfield's technical and operational unit, a facility where combat aircraft are serviced and repaired, according to the General Staff.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.

As Russia intensifies aerial attacks on Ukraine and the civilian death toll climbs, Ukraine has stepped up its drone attacks on Russian territory. The recent surge in drone strikes aims to disrupt airport operations, overwhelm air defenses, and mount pressure against the Russian population.

Russia pulls its scientists out of Iranian nuclear plant, as Israeli strikes threaten decades of collaboration

Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have alarmed none more than Russia, the country that first brought nuclear power to Iran in defiance of Western objections. We’re “millimeters from catastrophe,” said Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 18 in response to a bombing campaign that Israel launched against Iran on June 13. Decades of conflict with the West have united Iran and Russia, despite a cultural gulf between the two nations that dwarfs the Caspian Sea that physically di

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