On August 16, Ukraine lost a MiG-29 fighter jet, as confirmed by former Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat. He stated, “Unfortunately, today we lost a MiG-29. Luckily, everyone is alive. War,” without providing details on the location or circumstances of the incident.
Earlier that day, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it had struck an airbase in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with an Iskander-M ballistic missile, allegedly destroying a Ukrainian Su-34 bomber being equipped with Storm Shadow missiles.
Multiple explosions were reported in Dnipro on the same day. Serhii Lysak, the regional governor, mentioned that Ukrainian forces had intercepted and shot down two Russian missiles over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, resulting in “several fires.” Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
In July, Russian forces conducted several strikes against military airfields in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, leading to “some losses,” according to Ihnat. Some experts speculate that the increase in Russian strikes could be linked to the anticipated arrival of F-16 aircraft, the first of which reached Ukraine in late July.
In response, Ukraine has intensified its efforts against Russian airbases. On August 14, Ukrainian forces launched what the General Staff described as the largest airfield attack of the war, targeting four Russian airbases overnight.