Operation Dragonfly
| Operation Dragonfly Ukrainian: Операція «Dragonfly» | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Russo-Ukrainian War | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Ukraine |  Russia | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
 Ukrainian Armed Forces |  Russian Aerospace Forces | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| None | According to Ukraine: at least 9 helicopters According to OSINT: | ||||
Operation Dragonfly（Ukrainian: Операція «Dragonfly»）was an operation conducted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on October 17, 2023 during the Russo-Ukrainian War, where it focused on striking logistical points that the Russian military used for supplying efforts.
History
This operation mainly targeted the Luhansk International Airport in the east and Berdiansk Airport in the south.[1] During the operation, the Special Operations Forces used MGM-140 ATACMS for the attack, which led to the heavy losses of helicopters that the Russian Air Force undertook.[2] The Ukrainians also succeeded in destroying the airport runways, numerous supply depots, and even some air defense systems.[3] The Ukrainians also claimed to have caused manpower losses, but it cannot be confirmed.[4]
The fires created due to the burning of equipment at the Berdiansk Airport was visible from NASA's FIRMS. According to Russia, there were shrapnel of M74 Bomblets found at the scene,[5][6] which likely originated from the ATACMS Block IA (M39A1) that the Ukrainians used for the attack. More shrapnel found later proved that the Ukrainians used ATACMS for the operation.[7] which is likely the first time that it has been used in Ukraine.[8] Prior to this incident, there had been fears from American leaders that the supply of ATACMS would lead to an "escalation of tensions", which American Ben Hodges criticized has "created sanctuary for the Russians".[9]
References
- ^ "Operation "Dragonfly". Successful operation of the Ukrainian SOF to attack Berdyansk and Luhansk Airfields". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Oryx. "Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine". Oryx. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
- ^ "Операція Dragonfly. ЗСУ знищили ворожі гелікоптери, ППО та спецтехніку під час атаки аеродромів у Бердянську та Луганську — Forbes.ua". forbes.ua (in Ukrainian). 2023-10-17. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Robert Greenall (17 October 2023). "Ukraine 'destroys Russian helicopters in Berdyansk and Luhansk'". BBC. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "Воевода Вещает". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "Воевода Вещает". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "Well, something extraordinary happened- the remains of M39 missiles (Made in 1996 and 1997) of the MGM-140A ATACMS Block I system used by Ukrainian forces against Berdyansk AB". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Luxmoore, Michael R. Gordon, Nancy A. Youssef and Matthew. "WSJ News Exclusive | Ukraine Fires ATACMS Missile at Russian Forces for the First Time". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Gould, Joe (2023-01-19). "US still holds back long-range ATACMS missiles from Ukraine". Defense News. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
