Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that on Thursday his forces launched a Neptune missile strike that destroyed four Russian Su‑34 fighter‑bombers and damaged two more at the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia’s Voronezh region. The attack, carried out overnight, hit aircraft loaded with aerial bombs and ready to launch fresh assaults on Ukrainian territory.
Zelenskyy posted a photo on X, captioning it with gratitude for the Ukrainian Navy’s precision. He thanked the sailors who guided the missile, calling them warriors who kept the sky safe for civilians.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the damage on Telegram, noting that all six Su‑34s suffered varying degrees of impairment. These aircraft, expensive and heavily armed, are routinely used by Russian forces to drop glide bombs on cities near the frontline.
In addition to the airfield strike, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces hit a drone‑storage facility in Russia’s Oryol region and another target in the Black Sea. He vowed that long‑range operations would continue, labeling the attacks as justified responses to Moscow’s ongoing war‑driving.
The next move: a scheduled strike on the same Oryol site the following day. Ukrainian officials say the operation will proceed once intelligence confirms the target’s readiness.