Ukrainian drone attack destroys helicopter at Russian airfield in Bryansk, media says

Ukrainian drones struck Bryansk International Airport in Russia overnight on June 6, destroying one combat helicopter and damaging another, according to Russian emergency officials cited by independent media outlet Astra.

The attack was part of a broader Ukrainian operation targeting multiple Russian airfields and military facilities the same evening.

According to Astra’s sources within Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, the attack destroyed a Mi-8 helicopter after its onboard munitions detonated. A second aircraft, a Mi-35 helicopter gunship, was also damaged, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.

The strike reportedly caused additional destruction to airport infrastructure and rescue facilities, but no casualties were reported. Sources within Ukraine’s special services confirmed to Astra that Bryansk airport was among the intended targets of the attack.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.  

The Mi-8 is a multipurpose utility aircraft used for troop transport, reconnaissance, and close air support. The Mi-35 is a heavily armed assault helicopter derived from the Soviet-era Mi-24, with dual capability for offensive operations and personnel transport.

Both aircraft types are actively used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Hours before Russia launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the war, Ukrainian forces hit strategic bomber bases at Engels and Dyagilevo, along with logistical hubs in Kursk Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.

At the Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast, located roughly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Ukraine's front lines, Ukrainian strikes ignited fires at three fuel tanks, causing large-scale explosions.

The Dyagilevo airfield in Ryazan Oblast, home to refueling tankers and fighter escorts for Russia's long-range bomber fleet, was also targeted. Fires and explosions were reported in the vicinity, and Russian air defenses were activated in the region.

Ukraine's expanded drone campaign reflects a growing capacity to strike deep into Russian territory, as Kyiv continues to target the infrastructure Moscow uses to sustain its air war.

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The overnight strikes come just days after the launch of Operation Spiderweb on June 1, in which Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck four air bases across Russia and reportedly damaged 41 bomber aircraft.

That operation alone caused over $7 billion in damage and marked a major escalation in Ukraine's ability to project force across the border, according to SBU.

Russia responded to the latest round of Ukrainian strikes by unleashing 452 drones and 45 missiles against cities across Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring 73 in one of the heaviest barrages of the full-scale invasion.

UPDATE: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb

At least four people in Kyiv were killed in the attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Casualties and damage have also been reported in the western Ukrainian cities of Ternopil and Lutsk.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova