Ukraine strikes Russian airbase hosting MiG-31K Kinzhal carriers, 700 km from border

Ukraine's defense forces struck the Russian airbase "Savasleyka" in the Nizhny Novgorod region overnight on August 15, targeting the facility that hosts MiG-31K interceptor jets — the carriers of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the attack.

"A hit on the target was recorded, followed by a fire on the airfield's territory," the military statement said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed the strike, describing it as part of Kyiv's "long-range sanctions." He noted that the airbase sits roughly 700 kilometers from Ukraine's border and serves as a launch point for Russian missiles that hit Ukrainian cities and villages.

Earlier reports indicated that the same night, a separate strike targeted the Progress rocket and space center in Samara, hit by Flamingo missiles. The facility manufactures Soyuz rockets and spacecraft used to deploy satellites for the Rassvet low-orbit communications system, often described as Russia's counterpart to Starlink.