Russia downplays damage from Ukraine’s airbase drone attack

Russia on Wednesday said that Ukraine’s brazen drone attack on nuclear-capable bombers earlier this month was “purposefully exaggerated,” downplaying the extent of the damage in Moscow’s most detailed remarks on the strikes.

In a series of daring attacks deep into Russian territory, Ukraine on June 1 targeted military airbases with drones, saying it had damaged dozens of strategic bombers worth $7 billion.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow’s nuclear deterrence had “not suffered significant damage as a result of these actions.”

“The consequences of this attack by Kyiv is being consciously, deliberately, and purposefully exaggerated,” state media reported him as saying.

The damaged equipment “can and will be restored”, he added.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Moscow said that some aircraft had “caught fire”, and later vowed revenge.

It has called several recent missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, “retaliation.”

Ukraine said earlier that it had damaged 41 Russian aircraft — around a third of Moscow’s strategic aviation fleet.

The attacks exposed Russia’s air base vulnerabilities, in a massive morale boost for Kyiv after months on the back foot in the conflict.

Ukrainian cities have been targeted by Russian air strikes on a near daily basis since Moscow launched its full-scale military offensive in February 2022, forcing millions to flee their homes and decimating much of eastern and southern Ukraine.