Satellite images of the moment of the Ukrainian attack on Djankoi airfield in occupied Crimea

Radio Free Europe published satellite images from the company Planet Labs showing the consequences of missile attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Russian military airfield Djankoi in temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of April 29-30.

Free Europe’s investigative journalism project Schemes noted that the satellite most likely recorded damage to Russia’s S-300/S-400 air defense system, which consists of launchers and radars.

“Judging by satellite photos, one of the S-300/S-400 systems was hit, while the others were redeployed from the area,” the journalists said.

Russian officials said on Tuesday, April 30, that Ukraine attacked Crimea with US-made ATACMS missiles in an attempt to penetrate Russian air defenses on the annexed peninsula, but that six were shot down.

“Ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, six US-made ATACMS tactical missiles and two French-made ‘Hammer’ bombs were shot down by air defense,” the ministry said.

The United States has given the green light to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike targets in the Crimean peninsula with long-range ATACMS missiles that were recently transferred to Kiev, senior Pentagon officials told the New York Times, The Moscow Times notes.

According to the NYT, Ukraine received the ATACMS version with a range of up to 300 kilometers.

Earlier, the NYT reported that the United States had secretly transferred more than 100 ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. The Ukrainian military has already used some of them, notably during the April 17 Crimean offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced an attack on Djankoi airfield, but did not specify what weapons his troops used.

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