Ukrainian forces struck the Akhtubinsk military airfield in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast during the night of November 15, Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces reported. According to its information, a powerful secondary explosion was recorded at a storage facility containing kits for guided air-to-surface missiles following the attack.
“A powerful secondary explosion was recorded at a storage facility containing kits for guided air-to-surface missiles following the strike,” Ukraine’s General Staff said. According to the same information, a PRV-13 mobile radio altimeter was also hit—a system used to determine the flight altitude and coordinates of aircraft.
The airfield is home to the Russian Defense Ministry’s 929th State Flight Test Center. New and modernized aircraft, as well as aviation weapons, are tested there. The airfield is also used to base Su-34 fighter-bombers, which Russia uses in strikes against Ukrainian cities and positions.
Akhtubinsk is located approximately 650 kilometers from territories under Ukrainian control and about 30 kilometers west of Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Ukrainian authorities did not specify the number of drones used. A Ukrainian monitoring channel reported around 30 explosions in the area of the airfield.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that there had been a drone attack on Astrakhan Oblast during the night. The ministry said that drones had been neutralized in several Russian regions but did not provide specific information about damage to the Akhtubinsk airfield. The region’s governor, Igor Babushkin, said that 31 unmanned aerial vehicles had been destroyed in the northern part of the region. No official information has been released about casualties, injuries or material damage at the airfield.
The airfield has been attacked before
Akhtubinsk has previously been the target of Ukrainian attacks. In August 2026, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that a Russian Su-34 had been damaged in a strike and that there had been a fuel spill. Ukraine’s military intelligence also claimed that a Russian Su-57 fighter jet had been hit at the same airfield.
During the latest operation, Ukrainian forces also reported a strike on a facility for the storage, preparation and launch of attack drones near the settlement of Tsimbulova in Oryol Oblast. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia uses unmanned aerial vehicles from this facility to attack Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
Sources: kyivindependent.com, pravda.com.ua, kommersant.ru