Ukraine’s military says it conducted a preemptive strike overnight on key Russian airbases and military infrastructure to disrupt a planned large-scale missile attack.
In a statement on June 6, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that “a preemptive strike was launched against Russian forces and assets preparing for a mass missile assault.”
The operation targeted several strategic locations. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Engels airbase in Russia’s Saratov region, which remains a key staging area for long-range bombers. The airbase was previously damaged during an earlier Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) operation.
Another strike hit the Dyagilevo airfield in the Ryazan region, used by Russian aerial refueling tankers and fighter escorts that support missile operations against Ukrainian territory, the General Staff said.
The strike campaign also extended to the Saratov region, where “multiple hits were confirmed on at least three fuel storage tanks,” according to the General Staff. The impact triggered large fires, described by Ukrainian officials as affecting “critical logistics at the facility.”
Ukrainian General Staff:
The Armed Forces of Ukraine, before the massive Russian shelling of Ukraine, struck a preemptive strike – at the Engels and Diaghilev airfields. pic.twitter.com/oxEHbemLDj
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 6, 2025
Separately, Ukrainian forces targeted a logistics hub of the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment of Russia’s 72nd Motorized Rifle Division near the settlement of Kulbaki in the Kursk region. The General Staff said damage assessments are still being finalized.
Ukrainian officials emphasized the timing of the operation, stating it occurred shortly before a new Russian missile and drone assault on multiple cities.
The Air Force responded in parallel, intercepting a large number of incoming missiles on the approach to major cities. This action, according to Ukraine’s military, helped reduce the potential consequences of the latest Russian attack.
The strikes appear to be part of a growing pattern of Ukrainian operations designed to degrade Russia’s long-range strike capabilities by targeting launch platforms, support infrastructure, and logistics nodes before munitions can be fired.