Saboteurs blow up two airplanes and a helicopter near Moscow - Ukrainian intelligence
Illustrative photo (t me dragon_dances)
Unknown saboteurs staged an explosion at the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow region of Russia, causing significant damage to two planes and one helicopter on September 18, according to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU).
"The incident caused considerable stir iamong high-ranking military officials, as the airfield is home to government aircraft, including so-called 'doomsday planes' and specialized reconnaissance aircraft," the statement reads.
According to the DIU report, the saboteurs planted explosives and detonated an AN-148 and IL-20 aircraft (both belonging to the 354th Special Purpose Aviation Regiment) as well as an MI-28N helicopter. The latter had been actively involved in countering drones in the Moscow region.
According to intelligence sources, the damage inflicted on the aircraft will likely prevent their quick restoration to operational status. The helicopter sustained damage to its tail section due to the explosion. Another AN-148, which was parked nearby, suffered minor damage.
On September 20, Russian media reported the crash of a Su-34 bomber near Voronezh.
The number of sabotage attempts in Russia sharply increased in May. Since the beginning of the year, there have been over 50 such incidents, with nearly 25% of them occurring in just the last 13 days of the last spring month.
