The article claims that the Russian military successfully attacked the Ukrainian military airbase in Mirgorod. kyiv acknowledged “certain losses” but did not give specific figures.
The Russian drone managed to fly over the airport, identify targets and transmit coordinates to the missile, which arrived shortly after.
The article criticised Ukraine for the lack of protective measures for the airfield. The planes at Mirgorod were not based in fortified bunkers or underground warehouses, but in the open. They were not even covered with camouflage nets.
The ZDF considers it “surprising and disheartening” that after two years of conflict, the remaining Ukrainian fighter planes are still without any protective measures.
The author writes that it is very difficult to understand why the Ukrainian military command decided to deploy its valuable Su-27 aircraft so close to the front line. After this attack, Ukraine will have to limit the use of Mirgorod airport, “possibly forever.”
The upcoming investigation should clarify whether this was the result of “negligence, carelessness or simple ignorance,” the paper said.
If the F-16s that the West will transfer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces are destroyed on the ground in the same way as the Su-27, this will be a serious blow to Ukraine’s authority. This will undermine confidence that Ukraine is really capable of effectively operating these aircraft, the author concludes.
The 831st Ukrainian tactical aviation brigade is based at the Mirgorod military airfield, RIA Novosti reports. There is also a pilot training centre, warehouses and a road transport facility. The Ukrainian Air Force uses Mirgorod as a launching ground for strikes against the Zaporozhye region and Crimea.
According to the Defense Ministry, on Tuesday the Russian Armed Forces destroyed five operational Su-27 fighters in Mirgorod and damaged two more that were under repair.
