Ukraine Counter-Offensive Destroys Multiple Russian Helicopters

The Russian-held Kherson International Airport and Air Base near the southern Ukrainian port city have successfully been struck by Ukrainian forces, according to a number of satellite images.

The Ukrainian attack on Tuesday appears to have destroyed a number of Russian helicopters, with images obtained by Planet Labs PBC showing a cloud of thick, black smoke rising from burning helicopters.

The satellite images appear to show at least three helicopters on fire, as well as several vehicles. At a pad further away, other helicopters appeared to have been damaged by an earlier strike.

It is not known what kind of weapons the Ukrainian armed forces used for their attack.

Drone footage shared on Twitter and heat maps used by NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System—usually used to track forest fires—confirm multiple blazes at the Russian-occupied dual-use airfield.

Ukrainian armed forces have previously struck the airfield, with officials claiming to have destroyed 30 Russian helicopters in an attack using artillery rockets on March 7. However, satellite images at the time didn't show evidence of such large-scale damage.

Russian forces claim to have captured the city of Kherson on March 3, and reports show that the Russian military immediately moved several helicopters and vehicles to the Kherson airbase.

Kherson—a key port city on the Black Sea and home to some 280,000 people—was the first major city to fall to Russian troops.

People in Kherson have shown defiance, staging protests against the Russian invaders that saw residents facing off against heavily armed soldiers. Videos shared on social media show Kherson residents marching in the streets, shouting "Go home while you're still alive!" and singing the Ukrainian national anthem.

The city was shelled before being occupied and conditions in Kherson have only gotten worse under Russian occupation. As food reserves started dwindling, Kherson citizens were forced to accept the aid offered by the Russian occupiers.