Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Ukrainian reconnaissance officer Oleh Babii leads destruction of Russian bombers in 2023

In the summer of 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Oleh Babii infiltrated Russian territory, covering over 600 km on foot to destroy the enemy’s Tu-22M3 aircraft used by the Russian army to strike Ukraine.
zelenskyy praises intelligence agency long-range precision strike likely russia's air base near finland russian tu-22m3 kh-32 missile before first test launch february 2021
Russian Tu-22M3 with an Kh-32 missile before the first test launch in February 2021. Credit: open sources
Ukrainian reconnaissance officer Oleh Babii leads destruction of Russian bombers in 2023

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense has officially claimed responsibility for sabotaging three Russian bombers, Tu-22M3, in the summer of 2023.

Frontline report: Ukraine struck one of the Russian airfields used by strategic bombers Tu-22

Russia has used its Tu-22M3 aircraft to target Ukrainian cities and villages with Kh-22 long-range anti-ship missiles. The Kh-22 cruise missile has a warhead mass of about 950 kilograms and a maximum range of up to 600 kilometers.

As deviation from the target can reach hundreds of meters, Russia uses it mostly to terrorize Ukrainian civilians.

In December 2023, Spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuri Ihnat said Russia launched at least 300 such missiles on Ukraine, and none of them were intercepted. Kyiv needs the most modern air defense systems to shoot down Kh-22 missiles, such as a Patriot air defense missile system, he stressed.

The intelligence operation took place at the military airfield “Soltsy” in the Novgorod Oblast of Russia under the command of reconnaissance officer Oleh Babii.

Then, he and his unit infiltrated deep into enemy territory in August 2023, covering over 600 km on foot to carry out a special combat mission: to halt terrorist aerial assaults by Russians on Ukrainian cities.

The reconnaissance team managed to destroy one Russian Tu-22M3 aircraft and incapacitate two others. However, they themselves suffered irreparable losses.

“Returning to the controlled territory of Ukraine, the reconnaissance group led by Colonel Oleh Babii fell into an ambush and engaged in an unequal battle with Russian invaders.

In this battle on 30 August 2023, covering the retreat of his comrades, Ukrainian reconnaissance officer Lieutenant Colonel Oleh Babii sustained a fatal injury,” said the Main Intelligence Directorate.

For this heroic operation, Oleh Babii was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and received a “Golden Star” order.

According to the reports spread in media on 19 August 2023, the military airfield “Soltsy” in Russia was attacked by drones. The Ukrainian intelligence said two Tu-22M3 aircraft were destroyed, and two others were damaged.

On 22 August, British intelligence claimed that Ukrainian attacks on Russian military objects could have been launched from Russian territory.

“It is unlikely that drones have a sufficient operating radius to reach the Soltsy-2 facility from beyond Russia’s borders,” the British intelligence said at that time.

In its 14 January missile attack on Ukraine, Russia demolished an apartment block in Dnipro with Kh-22 missiles.

According to the Air Force, five Kh-22 cruise missiles were launched from five Russian Tu-22m3 long-range bombers above the Kursk Oblast and the Sea of Azov on 14 January.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman, Yurii Ihnat, said that Russia fired the same type of missile on a shopping mall in Kremenchuk this summer.

Read more: 

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!

    Related Posts