Ukraine reports deep strikes on Russian assets as both sides sharply cut drone use
Ukraine’s General Staff says it hit a Russian Su‑24 bomber in occupied Crimea and multiple drone and logistics sites in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk, while overnight drone launches from both sides dropped to their lowest levels in months.
Ukraine says it is pushing its strike campaign deeper into Russian‑held territory just as both sides briefly ease off the heavy drone use that has become routine in the war.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, its forces struck a Russian Su‑24 aircraft at Saky airfield in occupied Crimea on the night of 15–16 September. The extent of damage is still being assessed. The same report says Ukrainian forces hit a Russian storage, preparation and launch site for attack drones near Donetsk, along with unmanned‑aerial‑vehicle command posts in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Ukraine also reports striking an ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk and fuel storage bases, as well as other unspecified targets. These targets fit a broader pattern of Ukrainian attacks on Russian depots, airfields and fuel sites aimed at disrupting logistics and reducing Russia’s capacity to conduct offensive and long‑range operations.
Russia is presenting a different picture from the same front. Its Defence Ministry says Russian attack drones destroyed Ukrainian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region. The ministry did not release images or casualty figures, and there was no immediate Ukrainian response to that claim.
At the same time, overnight drone activity dropped sharply. A military summary tracking air operations reported that Russia launched 80 drones, the lowest number since September, while Ukraine launched 93. Those Ukrainian drones were reported as all intercepted. An anticipated large‑scale strike did not materialize. Observers noted that both sides appear to be holding back ahead of Russia’s elections, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly denied any pause linked to that timetable.
The quieter night in the air doesn’t change conditions on the ground for civilians near the front lines in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk, who remain under threat from artillery, rockets and occasional missile strikes. But it does suggest both militaries may be managing stockpiles and timing rather than simply running at maximum drone intensity.
Strategically, the reported strike on Saky and other deep targets matters because it signals that Russian airfields and logistics hubs in occupied territory remain vulnerable. Each successful hit complicates Russian planning by forcing aircraft dispersal and pushing ammunition and fuel further from the front.
The drone lull may prove more temporary. Previous phases of the war have seen reduced activity before new waves of attacks on infrastructure or command sites. Key indicators now are fresh imagery from Saky and other claimed strike locations, any Russian acknowledgement or denial of aircraft losses, and whether nightly drone numbers jump again after Russia’s voting concludes.
Sources
- OSINT