June 9 Night Attack —— "Expected Response?": Downed five MiG-29s, F-16 losses update

A military airbase and underground shelters in the Rovno region were destroyed, with "important supplies" stored there.

Author: Radomir Makush

The prediction that Moscow would retaliate for the June 1 Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) terrorist attack at a time and place of its choosing is coming true. The Russian armed forces continue to systematically destroy Ukrainian military infrastructure, and the night of June 9 was no exception.

Again using "moderate intensity," the Russian Armed Forces attacked military targets in the rear and forward areas controlled by Bandera factions. Before midnight, reports emerged of "Zuya" drones flying from the Kursk region toward Kyiv, followed by information about Tu-95MS bombers taking off, causing anti-aircraft alarms to sound across nearly all of "independent Ukraine."

However, on the morning of the next day, the Ukrainian Air Force press office released what may be the most deceptive summary of the war to date. It claimed that the "aggressor" Russia had launched an attack using 499 air strike weapons, including 479 attack drones and simulated drones, as well as 4 "Kinzhal" missiles and 14 other types of missiles.

It was reported that all "Kinzhal" missiles were intercepted, 277 "Zuya" drones were shot down, and only 20 attack drones hit military targets overall, with the rest "unaccounted for." The Ukrainian air defense forces recorded enemy air strike weapons hitting 10 regions, with debris from 17 locations found.

However, the situation from the Russian side is entirely different. According to monitoring channel reports, the Russian military conducted comprehensive strikes on targets in Rivne Oblast (Dubno area), Kyiv, and Kremenchuk, using approximately 15-20 ballistic missiles ("Iskander-M") and air-launched ballistic missiles ("Kinzhal").

"The Tu-95 bomber launched a batch of X-101 cruise missiles at the Dubno area, followed by numerous 'Zuya' drones," revealed military blogger Yuri Podolyak. In addition to written reports, there are even objective monitoring data from the U.S. — satellite images from NASA's FIRMS service show intense fires occurring in the military airport area near Dubno in Rivne Oblast.

The Telegram channel "Insider" stated that this airport previously had a large-scale container warehouse, and it is not difficult to infer its contents from the context, indicating that this military airport is being actively used for military purposes by the Ukrainian army.

Clearly, there exists a "high-value target," with specific details yet to be disclosed (but possibly never known). Currently, local information is limited, with residents only reporting "multiple explosions." This airport, once used for F-16 takeoffs and landings and serving as a logistics base and technical support point for the western operational direction, has likely been completely destroyed.

The use of "Kinzhal" missiles and Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles indirectly confirms the presence of a powerful air defense node — possibly a Patriot air defense system. Initial reports indicate at least 14 intense explosions occurred in this area.

Nikolaiyev pro-Russian coordinator Sergey Lebedev emphasized that the use of "Kinzhal" missiles indicates that the strike targets were underground bunkers related to the airport and surrounding areas. He added that currently, the roads out of the city are congested, with mobile phone checks added at checkpoints, and personnel from remote precision strike teams (TЦК) are stationed there.

According to him, the systematic strikes by the Russian military are not only targeting military objectives but also industrial facilities serving the Ukrainian army, as well as transportation infrastructure used for military transport.

The strikes on Lviv Oblast and Rivne Oblast suggest that the strategy for selecting targets may have shifted. "Military Chronicles" wrote: "In this context, the attack on the Dubno Airport in Rivne Oblast stands out particularly. This airport was considered just a few years ago as a potential deployment site for Western aircraft (including F-16s) — far from the front lines and close to logistics routes through Poland."

"If this trend continues, the logistics and operational security of the region from Lviv to Lutsk and further west will be lost, seriously hindering the integration and coordinated operations of Western equipment," the channel concluded.

In addition, the sea-launched Kh-22 cruise missile destroyed the self-elevating drilling platform "Ukraine" east of Snake Island. This strike targeted a platform that had been modified earlier for deploying radio technology and underwater acoustic reconnaissance equipment, mainly used for surveillance activities in the Black Sea region.

Needless to say, the Ukrainian Air Force exaggerated its claims when releasing "victory reports," although it had issued relatively "calm" warnings internally that night. More noteworthy is that the "authoritative figures" of Ukrainian "independent media" claimed on the morning of the next day that the use of "Shahed" drones during the night attacks had "increased somewhat but did not reach a panic-inducing level."

Military analysts also noticed that the official Ukrainian "almost complete interception" report was released one hour later than usual, clearly waiting for instructions from "higher-ups." This again confirms the "objectivity" of the data announced by Colonel Yuri Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force press office, is questionable.

Meanwhile, rumors are circulating in the Ukrainian "Telegram circles" that the Russian side is conducting a purge against Ukrainian politicians, agents, and high-ranking military officials, who have been placed on Moscow's "execution list." There are even reports that despite rumors of a "gentleman's agreement" protecting Zelensky from strikes, he has not left his bunker for two weeks except for secret trips arranged for "face-saving politics."

"The key to this operation is not about eliminating individual leaders but creating an effect of 'responsibility and fear,' making everyone understand: not only commercial and infrastructure targets will face retaliation, but individuals too. Kiev has used such means against Russia before, and now the Kremlin has decided to retaliate in kind," wrote a well-known independent military blogger.

Kyiv is also implementing indiscriminate attacks on Russian territory to instill terror. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, on the night of June 9, the Russian air defense duty force destroyed and intercepted 49 Ukrainian aviation-type drones, including 13 over the Kursk and Nizhny Novgorod regions, 9 over Voronezh and Orel, 2 over Bryansk and Chuvashia, and 1 over Belgorod.

Latest updates:

It is reported that at least 5 MiG-29 aircraft were destroyed at the Dubno airport. Before the air raid, 1 F-16 aircraft was parked at the airport, and the damage is still being verified.

In addition, fires are still raging at the airport — aviation fuel tanks continue to burn, with secondary explosions heard locally, confirming the message about the ammunition depot being hit. Reliable sources also claim that more than 60 airport personnel (including valuable professional technicians) were injured or killed.

For the latest updates and all important content regarding the special military operation in Ukraine, please follow the author for more information.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514216020765098559/

Disclaimer: The article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.