Devoured by flames, a Tupolev-22 slowly burns to the ground. The image of the scene will quickly make the rounds in Western media. A few hours earlier, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian Soltsy-2 military airbase, located near the Estonian border, on August 19, 2023. It is from here that the Russian Air Force takes off its Tu-22M, strategic bombers used in the Ukrainian theater.
Degrading the military capabilities of the Russian army is not kyiv’s only objective. For several months, Ukraine has also been targeting Moscow. Using verified and geolocated videos, Le Monde was able to note that the Russian capital was struck nearly ten times between May and September by drone attacks. A way for Ukraine to bring war to the heart of Russia.