A video showing the aftermath of Russian missile strikes that left the Ukrainian military air base in ruins and damaged several Ukrainian military aircraft is going viral on the internet.
The video, which appeared to surfaced on February 16, exhibited the outcome missile attack on a military airfield of the Ukrainian Air Force.
According to the reports, the military base, home to numerous fighter jets, was effectively destroyed in a single round of missile attacks. A fighter plane is seen in the footage lying on its back, probably having been flipped over by the shock waves caused by the explosions.
In the footage, several fighter jets, including a MiG-29, can be seen in a damaged condition. Reports suggest that the Russian missile attacks destroyed at least ten front-line military aircraft.
For understandable reasons, most aircraft cannot be restored, but the air base could be rebuilt for future use even without combat aircraft.
Based on the devastation visible in the video, it appears that the surrounding infrastructure, including the storage facility for the munitions, has also been destroyed.
The exact date and location of the video remain unknown; the video footage was reportedly recorded last summer, but the Ukrainian side only recently made it public.
Meanwhile, top Ukrainian officials predict that Russian forces will launch widespread missile attacks against Ukraine before the first anniversary of the invasion.
Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine’s presidential adviser, told local media on February 18 that he anticipates Russia to launch cruise and ballistic missile attacks against his nation between Tuesday to Friday.
On February 18, the Ukrainian defense ministry also reported that the Russian military had initiated missile attacks against civilian facilities in the Khmelnytskyi region of western Ukraine. There is a nuclear power facility in that region.
However, on Sunday, the Russian defense ministry stated that its forces had fired sea-based cruise missiles at a military installation and an ammunition depot in Khmelnytskyi.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US research tank, observed that Russia might attempt to compel emergency shutdowns of nuclear power stations in Ukraine.
- Eur Asian Times / News Agencies