Russian casualties: Suspected Ukraine drone attack on airfields in Russia

Created: 2022-12-06Updated: 2022-12-06 07:37

By: Helena Gries, Diana Rissmann, Nadja Austel, Vincent Büssow

Russia suffered losses in the Ukraine war.

Soldiers are said to have been injured in a suspected Ukrainian attack on Russian airfields.

The news ticker.

• Explosions:

  Detonations occur at an air force base.

  Three people die.

• Counteroffensive:

  Ukraine reports shooting down a Russian SU-25 fighter jet.

• Editor's note:

  Read the latest developments in the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.

  The information on the Ukraine war processed here comes partly from the warring parties in Russia and Ukraine.

  They can therefore not be independently checked in part.

Update from Tuesday, December 6, 6:50 a.m .:

Four soldiers were apparently injured in suspected drone attacks on two Russian airfields on Monday (December 5), the Russian Ministry of Defense announced.

At the Dyagilevo airfield near the Russian city of Ryazan and the Engels-1 military airfield in Saratov Oblast, Russia stationed strategic bombers with missiles used for attacks on Ukraine.

As the

news portal reports, the Ukrainian Air Force has published two photos of the aftermath of the attack on the Dyagilevo airfield.

The images are said to show, among other things, a damaged bomber.

However, Ukraine has not yet confirmed or denied responsibility for the incidents, the

said .

If the attacks were carried out by Ukraine, they will be the country's furthest advances into Russian territory - 600-700 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Ukrainian soldiers are preparing to shell Russian positions on the front line.

© Libkos/dpa

Russian losses in the Ukraine war: Kyiv shows damage at Russian military airfields

+++ 10.30 p.m .:

The Air Force of Ukraine published photos on Telegram that are supposed to show the consequences of the attack on a Russian air force base where strategic long-haul aircraft are stationed.

The Ukraine War in Pictures - Destruction, Resistance and Hope

View photo gallery

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the two published pictures show the Russian military airfield Diagilevo in the Ryazan region.

They were commented on with the words: “Ryazan.

Rest in peace.” The photos show a damaged Tu-95 bomber missile carrier and a truck with obvious blood stains.

Russian losses in the Ukraine war: Moscow blames Kyiv for attacks

+++ 8.30 p.m .:

Russia blames Ukraine for the attacks on two Russian military airports with at least three deaths.

Kyiv had previously indicated involvement (see 4:06 p.m. update).

The Defense Ministry in Moscow said in the evening via Telegram: “On the morning of December 5, the Kiev regime tried to attack the airfields of Diagilyevo in the Ryazan region and Engels in the Saratov region with Soviet-made reactive drones in order to disable Russian long-haul aircraft .”

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According to the ministry, the Russian air defense system is said to have intercepted Ukrainian combat drones flying at low altitude.

It also said that "as a result of the crash and the explosion of drone fragments at Russian airfields, the outer skin of two planes was slightly damaged" and "three Russian servicemen from the technical staff who were at the airfield were fatally wounded."

Four other Russian military personnel were injured.

However, the long-range bombers were only slightly damaged, also thanks to the use of anti-aircraft defenses.

Russian losses in the Ukraine war: 60 missiles shot down

+++ 6.46 p.m .:

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, more than 60 of over 70 Russian cruise missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian air defenses on Monday.

In his evening address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sincerely thanked the Ukrainian air defense forces and confirmed that the vast majority of Russian missiles had been successfully destroyed. 

According to analyzes by British secret services, Russian fighter jets have significantly reduced their deployments in Ukraine.

A few dozen missions would still be flown per day.

In March there were still up to 300, the Ministry of Defense said.

The Air Force has lost more than 60 aircraft so far, including a Sukhoi Su-24 bomber and a Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft last week.

Russian losses in the Ukraine war: explosions at Russian bases

+++ 16:06:

After the explosions on Monday (December 5) at Russian air bases, the exact cause is still unclear.

At least three people are said to have been killed in the blasts.

According to local media reports, a petrol truck exploded on a runway south of Moscow almost at the same time, as the

reports.

Ukraine at least hints at participation.

"The earth is round.

If something is launched into the airspace of other countries very often, then sooner or later unidentified flying objects will return to the place of launch,” said an adviser to the Presidential Office in Kyiv.

Ukraine-News: Two bombers destroyed at airbase

+++ 12.10 p.m .:

The explosions on Monday (December 5) at two Russian air bases, which are far from the front, are causing speculation (see report from 10.35 a.m.).

Kiev is believed to have found a way to use long-range Russian bombers to attack Russian infrastructure, the

reports.

According to Russian media reports and videos posted on social media, an explosion occurred early Monday morning at the Engels-2 airbase in Russia's Saratov region, which is home to Tu-95 bombers participating in cruise missile sorties against Ukraine.

News in the Ukraine war: Explosion at a military airport

Another explosion occurred at a military airport near the city of Ryazan, less than 150 miles from Moscow.

Three people were killed and five wounded after the explosion of a fuel truck, Russian state media reported.

Long-range Tu-95 and Tu-22M bombers are also stationed at this base.

A fiery explosion was seen on video of the explosion, lighting up the night sky.

Local residents reported that the sound of the explosion could be heard several kilometers away.

The cause of the two explosions has not yet been confirmed.

News in the Ukraine war: Unknown aircraft crashes on the runway

+++ 10.35 a.m .:

Explosions occurred at Russian military airfields in the Saratov region and near the city of Ryazan, damaging aircraft.

This is reported by the

portal , citing the

telegram channel .

“According to preliminary information, on the morning of December 5, 2022, an unidentified aircraft crashed onto the runway of a local airport.

As a result, two aircraft were damaged.

Two people were also injured and taken to a hospital," the report said.

News in the Ukraine war: More than 91,000 Russian soldiers have already been killed

+++ 9.15 a.m .:

The Ukrainian combat forces have given new estimates of combat losses in Russia.

According to this, another 540 soldiers died on Sunday (December 4).

A total of 91,150 Russian soldiers are said to have lost their lives in the Ukraine war.

The relevant statement was published on Facebook by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and cannot be independently verified.

• Soldiers:

  91,690 (+550 on previous day)

• Aircraft:

  281 (+1)

• Helicopters:

  264 (+1)

• Tanks:

  2924 (+2)

• Armored Fighting Vehicles: 

  5900 (+8)

• Artillery Systems:

  1914 (+6)

• Air defense systems:

   2110 (+1)

• Multiple Rocket Launcher:

   395 (+0)

• Cars and other vehicles:

   4494 (+14)

• Ships:

   16 (+0)

• Unmanned Combat Drones:

   1582 (+9)

Russia's Ukraine War Losses: Over 90,000 Soldiers Fallen

Update from 10.40 a.m .:

According to the Ukrainian general staff, Russia had to accept further heavy losses.

As the military leadership wrote on Facebook on Sunday morning, more than 230 dead Russian soldiers were taken to hospitals in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions between November 28 and 30.

Last day, Ukrainian troops are said to have shot down a SU-25 fighter jet and carried out 31 attacks on Russian positions.

Attacks by Russia at 17 different locations, however, were repelled.

First report from Sunday (December 4), 9.13 a.m .:

Kiev/Moscow Kiev – The Russian military can still not report any major territorial gains in the Ukraine war.

On the contrary: the loss of the strategically important port city of Cherson weighs heavily.

Every day, more and more soldiers are dying in the service of Russia.

According to the latest figures published by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the Russian army has already lost more than 90,000 soldiers since the beginning of the war.

Accordingly, Russia is said to have lost hundreds of units and many war equipment such as tanks every day.

Losses for Russia in the Ukraine war: Putin is "surprised"

There are also repeated reports about the lack of ammunition on the part of Russia.

portal reported

such a thing, citing the director of US intelligence, Avril Haines.

The government official said that Putin's troops are using up their ammunition faster than they can replace it.

This is becoming a "challenge" for Russia, Haines said.

The intelligence director went on to say that Vladimir Putin was "surprised" by his military's disappointing performance after invading Ukraine in February.

"I believe that he is becoming more informed about the challenges faced by the military in Russia.

But it doesn't look to us like he has a full picture of how big the challenges are at this stage," Haines said.

(Talk to agencies)