More details have emerged following the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) long-range drone strike on Russia’s Marinovka air base in Volgograd Oblast, carried out overnight on June 27.
Initial findings from Ukraine’s General Staff reported the destruction of two Su-34 fighter-bombers and damage to two others.
Russian independent outlet Astra, citing military sources, offered a slightly higher estimate, claiming three Su-34s were destroyed by fire and two more partially damaged. Satellite imagery from Ukraine’s open-source CyberBoroshno project appeared to confirm the report, showing blast marks near the aircraft positions on the tarmac.
✈️💥 Five Su-34 fighter jets were damaged as a result of a drone attack on Marinovka airfield on June 27, – ASTAR
❗️3 fighter jetz burned completely, and two more were partially burned. pic.twitter.com/JK4Amz24DF
— MAKS 25 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 30, 2025
The Su-34, Russia’s primary tactical strike aircraft, is routinely used in bombing and missile attacks on Ukrainian targets.
Analysts from Defense Express said the disruptions to Su-34 operations could directly impact the scale and frequency of Russian airstrikes along the frontline.
They also noted that Ukraine’s strike on the Marinovka air base, located nearly 1,000 kilometers from the frontline, underscores Kyiv’s growing capability to target high-value military assets deep inside Russian territory.
“Whether conducted via long-range drones, sabotage, or hybrid means, such operations signal a shift in Ukraine’s strategy to degrade the rear support infrastructure of the Russian Air Force,” Defense Express noted.
The strike follows a recent SBU-led operation that damaged Russian heavy bombers across four separate airbases. According to the SBU, that earlier attack inflicted approximately $7 billion in damage and temporarily disabled 34% of Russia’s cruise missile carrier fleet.
The loss of additional Su-34s adds to Russia’s growing aircraft attrition rate.
According to independent military tracker Oryx, at least 37 Su-34s have now been confirmed destroyed or damaged since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff reports that Russia has lost 420 aircraft and 337 helicopters since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. These figures have not been independently verified.
