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Satellite Images Confirm Strike on Russian Helicopters and Air Defense at Kirovske Airfield

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Ivan Khomenko
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Satellite Images Confirm Strike on Russian Helicopters and Air Defense at Kirovske Airfield
Destroyed Russian helicopters at Kirovske airfield after Ukrainian drone strike. (Source: Dnipro Harbuz)

Satellite imagery has confirmed the destruction of multiple helicopters and a Pantsir-S1 air defense system at the Kirovske airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea, following a recent Ukrainian drone strike.

According to Militarnyi on July 2, citing imagery published by the Telegram channel Dnipro ⟨Harbuz⟩, the aftermath of the June 28 attack shows at least three destroyed helicopters and a disabled Pantsir-S1 system.

While the exact helicopter models remain unconfirmed in the imagery, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported that Mi-8 and Mi-26 transport helicopters, as well as a Mi-28 attack helicopter, were among the targeted equipment.

The strike on Kirovske airfield was carried out overnight on June 28 by Ukrainian long-range drones. It marked a continued campaign to degrade Russian aviation infrastructure across occupied Crimea.

Russian Pantsir-S1 system eliminated near Kirovske airfield. (Source: Dnipro Harbuz)
Russian Pantsir-S1 system eliminated near Kirovske airfield. (Source: Dnipro Harbuz)

Initial confirmation of the strike came via NASA satellite fire detection data, which recorded significant heat anomalies at the airfield, consistent with fire outbreaks caused by precision strikes.

Kirovske is considered a key military airfield on the eastern side of the Crimean Peninsula and has been regularly used by Russian forces to support operations across southern Ukraine.

Widespread damage across Kirovske airfield visible after precision strikes. (Source: Dnipro Harbuz)
Widespread damage across Kirovske airfield visible after precision strikes. (Source: Dnipro Harbuz)

For further background on the significance of this facility, Militarnyi has published an in-depth report titled “From Ukraine’s Tu-142M to Drone Strikes: The Kirovske Airfield That Wasn’t Forgotten.”

Earlier, on the night of June 27–28, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out a drone strike on the Kirovske airfield in occupied Crimea, destroying a Pantsir-S1 system and three helicopters—Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28—along with ammunition depots and UAV infrastructure, according to an official statement from the SBU on June 28.

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