Ukrainian Air Force on Crimean airfield explosions: Painful blow for Russia, but airfield still serviceable

OLENA ROSHCHINA – FRIDAY, 12 AUGUST 2022, 23:31

The Ukrainian Air Force believes that Russia will be able to continue using the Saky airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea despite the recent explosions there since its runway has not been damaged.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during a TV broadcast

Quote: "This is a powerful and very unpleasant blow for the enemy. More than 10 of their aircraft have been destroyed. It is possible that both the flight and the engineering crews who serviced those aircraft have been killed…Of course, the enemy is covering up those losses, but the images and the video show red [i.e., blood - ed.] traces, which indicate that some Ruscists [Russians - ed.] might have been struck.

This was, without a doubt, a powerful blow. In effect, this is the first time something like this has happened. We can’t say exactly what has happened. We have official versions of [what had caused the explosion].

Will the airfield be restored? Actually not that much restoring had to be done. The explosions damaged the tarmac where the aircraft were parked and destroyed several aircraft. They may have destroyed an ammunition depot, the rockets and bombs stored there. Maybe also a fuel and lubricants depot.

But the main thing at an airfield is its runway. The runway can still be used. It’s not that difficult to restore the airfield."

Details: Ihnat said he believes that the Russians will continue to use the Saky airfield in Novofedorivka.

"I think they are already working to restore it, it is simply a question of safety. To fly from one airfield to another is not a big deal for an aircraft," the Air Force spokesman said.

He added that Russian aircraft are actively using around five airfields in Crimea, and Russia has access to dozens of other airfields all around Ukraine.

Background: 

• On the afternoon of 9 August, explosions rocked the Saky military airbase in Novofedorivka, in Russian-occupied Crimea. The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that the explosions were caused by detonation of ammunition. Later on, a source in the Russian Ministry of Defence told TASS that explosions occurred due to a "fire safety violation" at the airfield.
• The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said it was unable to determine what caused the fire at the Saky airfield.
• The New York Times quoted a "senior Ukrainian military official" as saying that Ukrainian forces were behind the blast at the air base. Mykhailo Podoliak, Senior Advisor to the Ukrainian President, said that Kyiv was not involved in the explosions at the airfield and suggested that they might have resulted from the actions of partisans.
• The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that around 10 Russian aircraft have been destroyed in the Saky airfield explosions, while President Zelenskyy said that Russia lost nine combat aircraft.
• British Defence Intelligence reported that Russia has lost eight combat jets at the Saky airfield, though the airfield itself remains serviceable.

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