Ukrainian combat drones launched a massive attack on Russia in the early morning of August 22. Their target was the Marinovka military airport in Volgograd Oblast, about 72 kilometers west of the regional capital Volgograd and about 440 kilometers from the war zone in Ukraine. Local sources reported at least 12 explosions near the Russian air base, followed by fires.
Satellite data from NASA FIRMS showed fires in the parking lot where Su-34 and Su-24 aircraft are normally based, as well as in an ammunition depot and a fuel depot. Videos shared by locals confirmed detonations and showed fires and a large plume of smoke rising above the base’s grounds.
Official Russian claims
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 28 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian territory overnight. According to the ministry
“13 drones were shot down over Volgograd Oblast, 7 over Rostov Oblast, 4 over Belgorod Oblast, 2 over Voronezh Oblast and one each over Bryansk and Kursk Oblasts.”
Volgograd Region Governor Andrey Bocharov confirmed a drone strike on a military facility in the region, but claimed that “a fire” was caused by “a drone crash” rather than multiple direct hits. Bocharov stated:
“Tonight, the Defense Ministry’s air defense forces repelled a drone attack on the territory of Volgograd Oblast in the Marinovka region, destroying most of the drones. As a result of the drone crash, a fire broke out on the territory of a Defense Ministry facility. Firefighters and rescue services immediately began extinguishing the fire. There are no casualties.”
Ukrainian officials did not comment on the attack.
Unofficial Russian reports
The Russian Telegram channel Astra initially reported that residents of Kalach-on-Don in Volgograd Oblast reported a drone attack and subsequent shelling. The Marinovka military airfield is located 20 kilometers from the city, near the village of Oktyabrsky.
Astra later shared an audio message from a local resident saying: “We were told to gather documents, there might be an evacuation.” Local residents reported that the Marinovka military airfield in Oktyabrsky burned after the attack.
At around 7:00 a.m., Astra provided an update on the situation in Kalachevsky District of Volgograd Oblast, reporting that the Marinovka military airfield was burning and exploding after the drone attack:
“Explosions with a periodicity of 1-3 minutes,“, wrote Astra, referring to the local residents.
Astra further reported that locals said: “These are the exploding grenades that the planes are loaded with.”
The Russian Telegram channel Baza also reported on the incident, claiming at around 4:00 a.m. that “Ukrainian drones” had “attempted” to attack an airfield in Volgograd Oblast. Residents of Kalach-on-Don reported explosions in the sky at around 3:30 a.m.
Long-range drone strikes on distant targets in Russia are usually carried out by the Ukrainian military intelligence or security service, not the army.
Baza explained that at least two drones had been shot down at that time: one was destroyed several kilometers from the airfield, and the debris of the second fell on a nearby commercial building and set it on fire.
The Marinovka base
Marinovka is an air base of the Russian Aerospace Forces, part of the 4th Air and Air Defense Army in the Southern Military District. As of 2022, the base was home to the 11th Composite Aviation Regiment, which has two squadrons of Sukhoi Su-24M/MR aircraft.
The airfield is home to the 2nd Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron (military unit 77978) of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Command.
OSINT researcher MT Anderson released satellite images of the base a few days before the attack, noting the presence of Su-24 fighter jets and possibly Su-34 fighter-bombers, as well as several semi-trailer trucks possibly carrying munitions or drones.
The attack follows a pattern of previous Ukrainian attacks on Russian air bases, in which suicide drones primarily target air-launched ammunition depots rather than aircraft.
On August 9, ammunition depots were destroyed at an air base in Lipetsk, on August 3 at a base in Rostov Oblast, and on July 31, missiles hit air defense systems near Kursk.
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