Morozovsk air base explained

Morozovsk
Ensign:Flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces.svg
Ensign Size:100px
Location:Morozovsk, Morozovsky District, Rostov Oblast
Country:Russia
Pushpin Map:Russia Rostov Oblast#Russia
Pushpin Map Caption:Shown within Rostov Oblast, Russia
Pushpin Label:Morozovsk
Ownership:Ministry of Defence
Operator:Russian Aerospace Forces
Controlledby:4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army
Used:Before 1940 - Present
Battles:World War II
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Elevation:116m (381feet)
R1-Number:09/27
R1-Length:2472m (8,110feet)
R1-Surface:Concrete

Morozovsk is an air base of the Russian Aerospace Forces as part of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, Southern Military District.

The base is home to the which had three squadrons of Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO: Fullback) as part of the 1st Guards Composite Aviation Division .[1] [2]

History

The regiment arrived from Finsterwalde in Germany in 1993, still as the 559th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment.[3]

The 559th was forward deployed during part of 2022 to Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base as part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4]

On 5 April 2024 Ukraine launched 53 drones into western Russia. Ukrainian intelligence officials claimed that at least six aircraft were destroyed, eight "heavily damaged" and 20 personnel killed at the Morozovsk airbase. Open source intelligence showed 26 Su-34s and three Su-35s at the base prior to the attack. Russian sources claimed that all drones and attacks were thwarted.[5] [6] [7] [8] ISW found no visual evidence of Russian aircraft being hit at the airbase.[9]

During the night of 13–14 June 2024, Ukrainian HUR officials claimed that two Su-34s were damaged during a Ukrainian drone strike on the air base. Reports of casualties were not officially confirmed. Satellite photos appeared to show fuel leakage.[10] [11]

During the night of 2–3 August 2024, a major drone attack was made on the airbase with multiple large explosions reported by local Russian citizen journalists, including many secondary explosions of rocket and bomb material. Ukrainian military says the drones also hit an ammunition depot where a large number of glide bombs and rockets were stored.[12] [13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Russian Air Force today - Russian Southern Military District. Eastern Order of Battle. 19 February 2022.
  2. Book: AirForces Monthly. March 2022. Key Publishing Ltd. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. 42.
  3. Web site: 559th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment . 9 April 2024 . www.ww2.dk.
  4. Book: AirForces Monthly. December 2022. Key Publishing Ltd. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. 30.
  5. News: Russian officials report massive drone attack on military airfield in Rostov Oblast . . Abbey Fenbert . 5 April 2024.
  6. News: Ukraine fires more than 50 drones against Russia in one of its biggest air attacks of the war . . 5 April 2024.
  7. News: Kyiv Confirms Ukrainian Drones Destroyed 6 Russian Planes at Air Base, as Many as 3 Sites Blasted. Kateryna Zakharchenko. Alisa Orlova . . 5 April 2024.
  8. News: Ukraine war: Six Russian planes destroyed by drones, says Kyiv. Robert Greenall . . 5 April 2024.
  9. News: ISW finds no visual evidence of Russian aircraft being hit at airbases. en . 8 April 2024 . .
  10. News: At least two Russian Su-34 bombers damaged in Ukrainian drone attack at Morozovsk airfield’ . Euromaidanpress. YURI ZORIA. 16 June 2024 . 15 June 2024 . Euromaidan Press. en.
  11. News: Satellite Images Show Damage at Russian Air Base in Morozovsk After Drone Attack . mil.in.ua. YURI ZORIA. 16 June 2024 . 14 June 2024 . mil.in.ua. en.
  12. News: Drones hit warehouses, fuel tanks in Rostov Oblast, official says. The Kyiv Independent. 3 August 2024.
  13. News: Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Base Thought to Store Glide Bombs. Bloomberg News. 3 August 2024.