"Russia steps up attacks on Ukrainian air bases , to prevent the transfer of F-16", writes Le Monde.
Days before the upcoming NATO summit in Washington from July 9 to 11, Russia has stepped up military pressure on Kiev by stepping up strikes on its air bases. According to analysts, this pressure is largely related to the upcoming official acceptance by Ukraine of the first F-16 fighter jets, which Western countries have been promising to transfer to the country for many months.
According to reports, confirmed by Russian and Western sources, several large-scale strikes were carried out on Ukrainian bases within a few days. First in Myrhorod, on July 1 and 2, in Poltava Oblast in central Ukraine, and then at Dolgintsevo Air Force Base, in Dnipro Oblast, located 80 km from the front line, according to a July 4 statement by the Russian Defense Ministry. Moscow claims that at least six fighter jets were destroyed.
The Ukrainians did not deny these losses, although they tried to downplay them.
This is not the first time the Russians have targeted Ukrainian air bases. In recent months, however, their aerial campaigns have focused on the country's energy infrastructure, so much so that Ukrainians have already begun to worry about the winter, as their access to heating and electricity looks set to be even more limited than in previous years.
According to a Western military source, the recent strikes reflected Russia's desire to "flex its muscles to make the Ukrainians and their supporters think twice at a key moment.