After an attack using American ATACMS missiles on an airfield near Russian-occupied Berdyansk, the Russian army transferred Ka-52 and Mi-8 attack helicopters to Taganrog in Russia, wrote the Ukrainian military portal Defense Express. It assesses the purpose for which this was done.
Defense Express quotes an entry by Brady Africk from the American think-tank The American Enterprise Institute, which was published on the X platform (formerly Twitter). “Recent photos of the Russian Taganrog air base show several helicopters and large planes along with vehicles and equipment. This base is one of several used by Russian planes operating over Ukraine,” Africk wrote.
“This photo only allows us to appreciate the fact of the sudden appearance of such a large number of helicopters at the base in Taganrog, which was previously used by Russian Su-25s. We cannot yet say whether the Russians delivered the helicopters there by ground transport, due to damage, or enemy machines they flew there on their own,” wrote Defense Express.
Russian Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopter. Illustrative photo Andrey Kryuchenko/Shutterstock
The portal added that if it turns out that the helicopters “retained their combat capability”, it may mean that the Russians transferred them in order to possibly support troops in other directions.
There is an aircraft repair facility in Taganrog. According to Defense Express, the base in this city could serve as a “transfer point” to repair Russian military aircraft in the event of new attacks by Ukrainian forces using American ATACMS missiles.
Attacks on occupation bases
Attacks on airports used by the Russian army near the occupied cities of Berdyansk and Luhansk took place in mid-October. Army Special Operations Forces Ukraine revealed then that nine Russian helicopters, an air defense system launcher and specialized aviation equipment had been destroyed.
Defense Express, tvn24.pl
Main photo source: Andrey Kryuchenko/Shutterstock