Journalistic sources reported that Ukraine carried out a massive strike against the Russian military airbase near the Russian-controlled port of Berdyansk using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
"There are losses of both personnel and aircraft," Russian expert Tumanov added in his Telegram post.
The attack was described as "one of the most serious strikes ever in the war in Ukraine, if not the most serious" by Russian military sources.
Although there has been no official confirmation of the use of ATACMS missiles in the attack, the video clearly shows a continuous barrage of explosions at the Russian airbase.
Local sources on the ground confirmed reports of a significant attack and extensive damage to the facility.
Ukrainian forces are increasingly using various means to counter Russian military actions, and this incident demonstrates their determination to strike at important Russian infrastructure.
As the situation develops, further information is likely to emerge on the extent of the damage and any casualties resulting from the attack.
Targeting Russian airfields is vital for Ukraine, as helicopters operating near the contact line are based there and can strike military equipment of the Ukrainian defence forces.
Yuri Ilhat , a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, quoted the Ukrainian Armed Forces Strategic Communications Center and the General Staff as saying that Ukrainian troops attacked the Russian military air bases near the cities of Lugansk and Berdyansk.
The spokesman explained that he had no information on what was likely destroyed at the airfields, but added that, in general, the destruction of Russian helicopters such as the Ka-52 and Mi-24 is certainly beneficial to the Ukrainians. That's because Russian helicopters and tactical aircraft are in constant operation on the front lines and on the battlefield.
Russia warns the US not to deploy missiles in Europe
Russia has made it clear that it will inevitably retaliate if the US deploys shorter-range missiles in Europe.
The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department made the remarks:
"Russia's unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles is directly linked to what the US is doing in this regard, leaving no room for any other interpretation", he said in an interview with Russian journalists when asked whether Russia would deploy similar weapons in response to Washington's possible deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles in Europe.
The senior Russian diplomat stressed that the current confrontation between Russia and the US was triggered by Washington.
"In general, given the aspects of the current confrontation between our countries, which was triggered by Washington, Russia should take certain steps in the strategic sphere that remove, or at least reduce, existing and emerging imbalances.
In my view, such steps include the decision to deploy Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus in response to NATO's practice of 'joint nuclear missions', as well as the withdrawal ( made today) of the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to reflect the stance taken on the US document," Yermakov stressed.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a plenary session of the Valdai Debating Club that Moscow could revoke the ratification for the intermediate-range ballistic missiles because the US failed to ratify the document.
The only certainty is that Moscow's reaction will be another fierce air attack on the whole of Ukraine, especially Kiev.
