Ukrainian strikes hit Russian airfields in occupied territory, potentially damaging a military helicopter base in Russia

Ukrainian special forces early on Tuesday struck two Russian military airfields, saying they successfully destroyed nine Russia military helicopters, an anti-aircraft missile system, and an ammunition warehouse.

Ukrainian defense forces made use of US-made long-range ATACMS missiles in the operation, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Russia’s ambassador to the US warned on Wednesday that the Kremlin would issue a “serious” response to the provision of ATACMS to Kyiv.

The attacks took place in occupied Berdyansk, a southern city in the Zaporizhzhia region; and at an airfield in Luhansk, an occupied city in eastern Ukraine.

The special forces also managed to successfully damage airfield runways, Ukraine said, in what it called “Operation Dragonfly.”

“The ammunition depot in Berdyansk detonated until 4am. The detonation in Luhansk continued until 11am. Losses in the enemy’s manpower amount to dozens of dead and wounded. Bodies are still being pulled from the rubble,” Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said in a statement.

It came as Russia’s frontal assault in eastern Ukraine has led to huge losses, according to the latest claims by Ukraine, as the Kremlin denied Western accusations that they are receiving weapons from North Korea.

Russia attacks kill three civilians in Ukraine, Kyiv says

A Russian missile slammed into a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia early on Wednesday, killing at least two civilians and wounding five, Ukrainian officials said.

A 31-year-old woman was also killed and four people were hurt in a separate attack in which eight private homes were destroyed in Obukhivka in the central region of Dnipropetrovsk, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said eight apartments had been destroyed in the strike on Zaporizhzhia and rescuers were searching for any survivors in the rubble. His office said three people were missing after the attack.

“Overnight, Russian terrorists attacked Zaporizhzhia with missiles, striking an ordinary five-storey residential building,” Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app beside a photo of the building with a gaping hole in the middle, its entrance destroyed, windows smashed and debris scattered around.

“The evil state continues to use terror and wage war on civilians. Russian terror must be defeated.”

Reuters television footage showed fire brigades working near the damaged house and empty buses stopping nearby.