Explosions in Crimea: Forbes named the price of the destroyed aviation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at the Saki airfield

According to journalists, the Russians could lose aircraft worth from $ 650 to $ 850 million. There were Su-30 fighters, Su-24 scouts and helicopters at the airfield. The explosions on August 9 at the Saki airfield in the occupied Crimea could be Russian aircraft worth from $ 650 to $ 850 million. The probable calculations of the losses of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation cited the magazine forbes.

The Planet Labs satellite images showed that there were more than 20 aircraft near the airfield-mostly Su-30cm fighters, Su-24MR scouts, heavy military transport IL-76 and several helicopters. Forbes cites the cost of aircraft: if you assume that all 9 destroyed aircraft were cheaper than Su-24MRs, the total amount of losses of Russia-about $ 55 million, and at the cost of expensive Su-30 cm-$ 450 million.

The British intelligence in the new report reported the probable destruction or serious damage to at least 5 Su-24 bombers and 3 multi-purpose Su-30 aircraft at Saki airfield. "The central area of ​​Saki's dispersion has undergone serious injuries, but the airfield is likely to remain able to work," the scouts said.

The Defense Ministry says that 8 lost combat aircraft is a small part of the entire air park that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation can apply in a full -scale war with Ukraine. "Saki", according to British experts, was mainly used as a base for the Aviation of the Black Sea Fleet of Navy. After the impact of the possibility of naval aviation, Russia is significantly reduced.

Analysts of the American Institute for War Study write that at least 8 Russian aircraft for tens of millions of dollars and several buildings were burned at the airfield, but they do not specify which ones. The UA Weapons Tracker reconnaissance project estimated that at least 11 aircraft-5 Su-30cm fighters and 6 Su-24MR aircraft were destroyed at the Saki aerodrome. If we take into account these figures, the explosions cost Russia about $ 300 million.

Analysts of the international intelligence community InformNapalm believe that satellite images do not show a complete picture of the consequences of explosions. Crimean sources talk about the following losses of Russians: 8 Su-27 aircraft, four Su-30cm, five Su-24, six Mi-8 helicopters and one IL-20. The estimated amount is $ 380 million. InformNapalm suggested that the impact was struck by two ATACMS missiles with a cluster warhead that was launched from the MLRS M270 installation.

We will remind that a series of explosions at the military airfield of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied Crimea was heard on August 9. In the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, they explained the cause of the explosions not by rocket hit, but by a fire during fuel loading. Aviation equipment at the airfield, as Russian officials say, was not injured.