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Explosions pierced the sky as Ukrainian air defences repelled a Russian attack on the small city of Starokostiantyniv, a frequent target of Moscow’s strikes and home to a significant air base.
Despite the chaos, the city’s tidy streets returned to normality hours after the June 27 assault, though it underscored the difficulties Kyiv faces in rebuilding its depleted air force and deploying U.S.-designed F-16 fighter aircraft.
Ukraine anticipates the arrival of the first F-16s this month, hoping these advanced jets will bolster forces struggling against a relentless Russian onslaught along the front line. The new planes could potentially counteract devastating glide bombs that Russia has been deploying.
However, Moscow has already indicated its intention to target airfields expected to house the F-16s, following last Thursday’s strike on Starokostiantyniv.
Since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, the air base in Starokostiantyniv, located in Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi region, has faced repeated attacks, including those from drones and hypersonic missiles.
Residents of this historic military outpost, nicknamed Starkon, have had to adapt to the constant threat. “In short, it’s ‘fun’ to live here,” city official and local culture expert Vasyl Muliar remarked wryly after the recent attack.
A Ukrainian air force spokesperson acknowledged that the strikes posed “certain difficulties” but insisted they would not impede the F-16s’ delivery or operational deployment. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Tuesday that it had destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets at Myrhorod airfield in Poltava region, a claim Ukraine has dismissed as exaggerated.
Military analysts suggest that Russia is likely targeting air base infrastructure such as runways and storage facilities to complicate the F-16s’ deployment and, eventually, to target the jets themselves.
Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute noted that the Ukrainian military, already low on air-defence ammunition, might be forced to relocate the prized planes across various airfields. “Any ground-based air defence coverage can be saturated if the Russians care enough to fire enough missiles at one target,” Bronk said.
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