On the night of October 17, Ukrainian troops attacked helicopters and equipment of Russian troops at airfields near occupied Berdyansk and Luhansk.
The Strategic Communications Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the General Staff reported that the strikes "were successful." It was also added that two helicopters were damaged.
The impact on the airfield is also confirmed by the FIRMS service — the NASA fire map. Three marks are visible on the territory of the airfield, and the description indicates that the fire broke out after 04:00.
The reaction of the Russians
The occupation authorities of Berdyansk later acknowledged the nighttime attack on the airfield, but claimed that Russian air defense "successfully shot down" the missiles on approach. At the same time, a video of eyewitnesses is circulating on social networks, on which you can see the fire and hear the sounds of secondary detonation. Local residents wrote in chat rooms of the city that the strike was aimed at the airfield.
Russian soldiers and channels, meanwhile, write that the attack near Berdyansk was one of the most serious during the full-scale invasion.
Telegram channel "Two Majors" writes that at least 40 rockets, including cluster ones, were launched at the airfield. Some channels like WarGonzo are already claiming that it was an attack by ATACMS missiles.
The "Fighterbomber" channel, run by a former Russian military pilot, writes about significant losses in equipment and personnel.