Ukraine destroys six Russian military aircraft in drone strike near Rostov
Overnight on September 17, Ukrainian special forces used long-range drones to destroy six Russian military aircraft at an airfield near Rostov-on-Don, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media platform X that Ukrainian forces carried out a successful strike overnight on September 17 against the "Rostov-on-Don Central" military airfield in Russia. The strike destroyed one An-12 transport aircraft, two An-26 transport aircraft, and three helicopters of an as-yet unidentified type.
The operation was carried out by the "Alpha" unit of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) Special Operations Center, using long-range drones. The SBU said the strike triggered a major fire in the airfield's parking area for aircraft and helicopters, followed by detonations.
Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed that a power grid substation was also damaged in the strike, cutting electricity in four districts of the city. He said there were no casualties.
Oil refinery also targeted
Zelensky also reported a separate operation the same night — a strike on the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region. That operation was carried out jointly by the SBU, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, and the Foreign Intelligence Service. Ukraine's General Staff said the refinery's primary oil processing unit was damaged and a large fire broke out afterward.
Slavneft-YANOS is one of Russia's largest oil refineries, with an annual capacity of about 15 million tonnes, and it also supplies fuel for the Russian military.
Zelensky thanked Ukrainian soldiers and expressed confidence that long-range strikes would eventually force Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose peace.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that overnight into Thursday, 641 Ukrainian drones were shot down over more than 20 Russian regions and occupied Crimea. Russian authorities, as usual, did not disclose how many drones evaded interception, though experts estimate that roughly 10-15% of launched drones typically reach their targets.
