The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has confirmed that a massive overnight drone assault targeted critical military facilities in Russia's Rostov region early morning on Saturday, August 3, striking the Morozovsk military airfield and fuel tanks at the Atlas plant.
"The operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR) in cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)," the publication reads.
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According to Kyiv Post's sources in SBU, drones targeted an aviation ammunition depot at the Morozovsk airfield, resulting in multiple detonations and fires.
"Hits were recorded in ammunition depots, where guided aerial bombs were stored, among other things."
Rostov-on-Don, the capital of the region that sits just across the border from Ukraine, is the command headquarters for Russia's military campaign and home to a swathe of Russian military sites.
The Morozovsk airfield, housing numerous Su-34 Fullback fighter bombers, plays a vital role in Russia's ongoing military operations in Ukraine. The Atlas plant, known for storing petroleum products, including supplies for the Russian army, also sustained damage.
Vasily Golubev, the governor of the Rostov region, confirmed damage to warehouses in the Morozovsk and Kamensk districts, where the Atlas plant is located. Emergency services are currently working to extinguish the fires.
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The Atlas plant, operational since its inception, has specialised in petroleum storage. Notably, in August 2020, it participated in military exercises as part of the Kavkaz 2020 drills, perfecting methods for transferring petroleum products to the Russian army.
According to sources in the Ukrainian intelligence service, this warehouse supplies fuel and lubricants to military units and subunits of the Russian Federation stationed in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Sources note that the target was hit with the help of 15 Obsidian UAVs from the Nayan project.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of 75 Ukrainian drones overnight across the Rostov, Kursk, Belgorod, Oryol, Ryazan, and Voronezh regions, as well as the Sea of Azov and Krasnodar Territory.
The Morozovsk airfield, which is home to dozens of Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers, has been frequently targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks lately.
In an overnight attack on June 14, as confirmed by the head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) Kyrylo Budanov, Kyiv launched at least 70 of its Dragon and Splash drones at the airfield.
Earlier this year, on April 5, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in collaboration with the military and the Defense Forces, orchestrated the nighttime assault on the Morozovsk airfield, resulting in the destruction of at least six aircraft.
According to the Kyiv Post source, "At least six Russian military aircraft were destroyed, and another eight were heavily damaged. In addition to the equipment, about 20 Russian servicemen were either killed or wounded."
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