Russia used the Lugansk airport, which had been inactive since 2014, to park Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters of the country's air force.
New Military Air Base for the Russians
The Russian military appears to be expanding its network of airstrips, which it uses for its army air force.
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«Ορδές» ΝΑΤΟϊκού εξοπλισμού οδεύουν προς το Κίεβο: Οπλισμένα καγιάκ, άρματα Abrams & γερμανικά οχήματα ανάκτησης Bergepanzer 2! (Εικόνες & Βίντεο)
More specifically, satellite images from Planet Labs recorded on 19 July this year show that the Russian military has started using the Lugansk airport as a base for its military aircraft. The airport has been inactive since 2014.
At the time the photos were taken, a total of 15 Russian military helicopters were parked at the airport, including 5 Ka-52s, 3 Mi-28s and 8 Mi-8/Mi-17s. On most days there are between 12 and 16 Russian helicopters, including Mi-24s, at the base, writes a publicly available online data analyst.
This analyst emphasized the fact that the Russian military started using the airfield in Lugansk very recently as a base for its military helicopters.
The airfield was chosen because it is located just 100 kilometers from the front line, which means it is close enough to the battle, but not close enough to run the risk of being attacked by long-range systems such as the M142 HIMARS and M270. At the same time, this relatively short distance allows Russian helicopters to reach the battle line of contact in as little as 30 minutes.
The expert said that the Russians have organized a fairly strong anti-aircraft defense, using a network of air defense systems around the Lugansk airport. Of course, he stressed that the Russian defenses at the site are not "impenetrable."
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Χάος στον Ουκρανικό Στρατό: Οι Ρώσοι αντεπιτίθενται μαζικά στο Σολεντάρ & στο Ραμπότινο-Φεύγουν προς τα πίσω οι Ουκρανοί! (Βίντεο)
In particular, he explained that it is possible that the Russian army helicopters could be attacked at this military base, which, if it were to happen, would force the Russians to move their military aircraft even further back, which would in turn increase the time needed for the helicopters to reach the front line.
This is why the Lugansk airport has probably become a priority target for Kiev, which has several weapons in its arsenal that it could use for such a strike. The Russians are fully aware of the danger for this and their anti-aircraft systems are scanning the skies non-stop!
