The Ukrainians Have Struck Another Russian Airfield In Crimea

Russian media reported that a Ukrainian drone blew up a Russian airfield near Hvardiiske.

Black smoke could be seen above the military air base.

The Hvardiiske attack came a week after a Ukrainian attack on another Russian airfield on the strategic peninsula.

It is not known if any of the warplanes that fly from Hvardiiske suffered any damage. The headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet are in the city of Sevastopol.

Russian commanders have been startled by the steady drumbeat of Ukrainian strikes across southern Ukraine. Almost all of the 38,000 cars that crossed the bridge on Monday left the peninsula.

There is an airfield north of Simferopol. The Russian-occupied city of Kherson is located north of the airfield.

It makes sense that the Hvardiiske base was hit by an explosives-laden drones. The airfield is too deep inside Russian lines for Ukrainian warplanes to penetrate and too far away for missiles to reach.

The Ukrainians have developed long-range missiles. It is worth noting that the August 9 attack on Saki, which destroyed potentially dozens of Su 24 and Su 30 warplanes belonging to the Black Sea Fleet, bore the hallmarks of a missile strike. There are deep craters. The front is around 120 miles away.

Between their missiles, drones, special operations forces and saboteurs, the Ukrainians are able to hold Russian targets as far away as 150 miles from the line of contact. The Black Sea Fleet relocated the base's warplanes. The attack on Hvardiiske could cause the fleet to pull back further.

The farther a warplane is from the fighting, the more fuel it needs to burn to reach its target. The Russian air force doesn't have a lot of planes. They don't have enough time to help shepherd attack jets toward the Ukrainian front.

Despite some territorial losses in the east, the Ukrainian armed forces have concentrated their best troops and weaponry around Kherson. The troops crossed the Inhulets River north of Kherson to create a lodgement that could support a counteroffensive in the south.

The 17th tank brigade, which is part of the Ukrainian army, has not penetrated very far south of the Inhulets. It is possible commanders are waiting for the Ukrainians to cut off the Russian 49th Combined Arms Army.

The 49thCAA has two dozen battalions and is a powerful force. The 49th CAA might fall in the face of an attack.

The Ukrainians have been striking across southern Ukraine. The planners are in the south. It is not known if the army brigades on the ground will take advantage of that shaping or if they will collide with the 49thCAA.

It won't be the fault of the people who are blowing up Russia's bases in the region if the campaign fails.