The Ukrainian Navy executed a long-range strike on Russia's Borisoglebsk military airfield in the Voronezh region using its Neptune missile system, damaging or destroying six Russian Su-34M fighter-bombers. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed four aircraft were destroyed and two were damaged, noting they were loaded with glide bombs. Russian local authorities reported intercepting aerial targets without acknowledging airfield damages.
Borisoglebsk airfield strike
- ▪President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that four Russian Su-34 aircraft were destroyed and two were damaged in the Neptune missile strike on the Borisoglebsk airfield on October 15, 2026
- ▪Satellite imagery captured on October 15, 2026, showed evidence of destruction and damage to an aircraft parking area at the Borisoglebsk airfield
- ▪The Ukrainian Navy and Defense Forces carried out an overnight strike on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Russia's Voronezh region, damaging or destroying six Russian Su-34M fighter-bombers
Neptune missile system capabilities
- ▪The Neptune cruise missile system was previously used in April 2022 to sink Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship, the Moskva
- ▪In 2025, Ukraine unveiled the Long Neptune, an upgraded version of the Neptune missile, that demonstrated a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles)
- ▪Ukraine used its domestically produced Neptune coastal missile system to execute the overnight strike on October 15, 2026 on the Borisoglebsk military airfield
Su-34M bomber aircraft
- ▪President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the targeted Su-34M warplanes at the Borisoglebsk airfield on October 15, 2026 were loaded with aerial bombs and prepared to launch immediate new attacks against Ukraine
- ▪The Su-34M is an upgraded, modernized fighter-bomber costing tens of millions of dollars apiece that Russia utilizes to launch guided glide bombs against Ukrainian cities and frontline positions
Russian official responses
- ▪Falling debris from targets intercepted by Russian air defenses in Voronezh, the regional capital, damaged outbuildings at private homes and a vehicle
- ▪Voronezh region Governor Alexander Gusev reported that Russian air defenses intercepted 33 drones and several jet-powered aerial targets, while omitting acknowledgment of a direct strike on the Borisoglebsk military airfield
Ukrainian official responses
- ▪President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the warriors of the Ukrainian Navy for their precision during the long-range operation against the Voronezh airfield
- ▪President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that long-range strikes against Russian assets are justified responses to Russian terror and will continue as long as Russia prolongs the war
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