Ukraine attacked Belbek airfield in the occupied Crimea on January 31. At least three Russian aircraft were damaged in the attack. There are casualties among the Russian military personnel.
Yuri Ignat, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, confirmed this information in a TV marathon. According to him, the best confirmation of the damage is satellite images, which are already available, as well as obituaries of the occupiers in Russian social media.
Russian sources report the death of 10 Russians, including Lieutenant General Alexander Tatarenko, who commanded the aviation squadron. It is reported that two missiles hit the command post of the 38th fighter aviation regiment, and another targeted the airfield's communication point. This information cannot be confirmed with certainty at the moment.
On January 31, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed a missile attack on the Belbek airfield near Sevastopol. Supposedly, 17 aviation missiles were shot down over the Black Sea and 3 more over the Crimean peninsula. Local sources reported hits at the airfield, and corresponding videos later emerged. The Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, confirmed the attack later on the same day.
