Russia Says Su-34 Jets Hit Ukrainian Drone Control Facilities
Moscow says Su-34 jets struck drone command facilities in Donetsk and Kharkiv as both sides intensify long-range attacks far from the front line.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Russia's Defense Ministry said Friday that its Su-34 fighter jets used FAB-series guided bombs to strike Ukrainian drone-control facilities in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, in an operation Moscow said targeted military and National Guard units.
According to information obtained by Kurdistan24 Moscow Office Chief Xoshawi Mohammed, the Russian ministry said the strikes hit drone command centers associated with Ukraine's 4th and 15th operational brigades of the National Guard in the Dobropillya area of Donetsk.
A separate strike targeted what Russia identified as a drone-control facility belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 105th Territorial Defense Brigade in the Bratinytsia area of Kharkiv, the ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry released video footage purporting to show the aircraft dropping guided bombs on the facilities. It also claimed that Russian forces from its Northern Group had taken control of the Aniskyne area in Kharkiv region.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Ukraine expands strikes inside Russia
The reported Russian strikes come as Ukraine continues to use long-range drones against targets well beyond the immediate battlefield.
Agence France-Presse reported Friday that Ukrainian drones struck a logistics facility belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries in Yekaterinburg, more than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine's border.
Regional authorities said three drones hit the warehouse roof and that there were no casualties, while the company said firefighters responded to a fire and employees were moved to safety.
AFP reported that Ukraine has targeted around 20 Wildberries facilities since mid-July. Kyiv has said the company provides goods that can be used by Russia's military.
The incidents illustrate the expanding geographic reach of drone warfare, with both sides increasingly capable of striking infrastructure far from the front line.
Deadly Russian barrage raises air-defense concerns
The broader escalation has also brought mounting pressure on Ukraine's air-defense network.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed 17 people and wounded at least 44.
Ukrainian authorities said their defenses failed to intercept the incoming ballistic missiles during the overnight barrage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has attributed the difficulties in part to shortages of interceptors for U.S.-made Patriot systems, which Ukraine relies on to counter ballistic missiles.
He has urged international partners to provide additional ammunition and air-defense capabilities.
Russia, meanwhile, said its strikes were directed at logistics, transport and distribution facilities involved in military-related activity.
Ukrainian officials disputed the military significance of some of the sites, and AP said the competing accounts could not be independently reconciled.
A war increasingly fought at distance
The latest reports point to an increasingly important role for long-range drones and precision-guided weapons in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia says its latest operation was aimed at disrupting Ukrainian drone command infrastructure, while Ukraine continues to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
Civilian facilities and workers have also been affected by the wider campaign, according to AFP and AP.
The competing battlefield claims, including the reported destruction of military facilities and territorial gains, could not be independently verified.