Ukraine attempts to strike military airfield in northern Russia

A Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down near the village of Vysoky in the Murmansk region in Northern Russia. It is believed that the aircraft was flying to attack the Olenya airfield where Russian strategic bombers are stationed.

Several flights were delayed for departure and arrival at the airport of Murmansk.

The Ukrainian drone, which was supposedly used to attack the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region, could be launched from the city of Chernigov (Chernihiv, northern Ukraine).

The UAV was identified as A22 Flying Fox. The range of the UAV reaches more than 2,000 kilometers. The distance from the Chernihiv region to the village of Vysoky in the Murmansk region measures about 1,800 km.

Ukraine used similar aircraft-type UAVs to attack the town of Yelabuga in Tatarstan.

Details

Murmansk is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far northwest part of Russia. It sits on both slopes and banks of a modest ria or fjord, Kola Bay, an estuarine inlet of the Barents Sea, with its bulk on the east bank of the inlet. It is in the north of the rounded Kola Peninsula which covers most of the oblast. The city is 108 kilometres (67 mi) from the border with Norway and 182 kilometres (113 mi) from the border with Finland.

Olenya (also Olenegorsk) has been a major Russian Navy reconnaissance base, located on the Kola Peninsula 92 km south of Murmansk. As of 2020, units at the base are subordinate to the Long-Range Aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The base is home to the 40th Composite Aviation Regiment as part of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. As of 2006, Google Earth imagery showed nearly 40 Tupolev Tu-22M bombers on the airfield, but by 2018 only four of the aircraft appeared serviceable with another 27 aircraft awaiting disposal. On 7 October 2022, satellite photos showed 7 Tu-160 and 4 Tu-95 at the air base.