Ukraine says its long-range drones hit a Russian airfield as France delivers Mirage fighter jets

A Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher Uragan (Hurricane) is fired toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in the Kursk region border area. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces struck an airfield in southern Russia that was being used to launch Iran-designed Shahed drones, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed Thursday. France meanwhile said it had delivered the first batch of Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine and the Netherlands sent more F-16s.

The nighttime attack on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region started a fire, the General Staff wrote on Facebook. The facility houses and fires drones and maintains aircraft used to attack Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia border region.

It was not possible to independently verify the claim. The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing Ukrainian drones over Krasnodar, but it didn’t say where or mention the airfield.

Ukraine has developed its own long-range drones as part of its effort to grow its domestic arms industry and become less dependent on Western help to fight its almost three-year war with Russia. The drones have at times reached deep into Russia, hitting oil refineries, weapons stores and airfields.

France said it had delivered the first fighter jets promised to Ukraine by President Emmanuel Macron last June.

“The first of them arrived in Ukraine today,” Sebastien Lecornu, the minister of the armed forces, said on X. “With Ukrainian pilots on board, trained for several months in France, they will now help to defend the skies over Ukraine.”

Lecornu did not say how many planes were delivered.

Ukraine also received more F-16s from the Netherlands, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said, though it didn’t specify how many.

European countries have previously supplied F-16s, though Ukrainian officials have rarely mentioned them in official comments about the fighting.

Russian forces fired 77 Shahed and other types of drones, as well as two ballistic Iskander-M missiles, at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s air force. A statement said 56 drones were destroyed and 18 others were jammed and lost mid-flight.

Some buildings were damaged, but no casualties were reported.

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Illia Novikov, The Associated Press