MOSCOW/KIROVOGRAD, April 16, 2026 (Agencies): Several Western-supplied fighter jets were destroyed in a Russian strike on the Dolgintsevo airfield in Ukraine’s Kirovograd region, according to pro?Russian sources.
Sergei Lebedev, coordinator of an underground network in Nikolayev, told Sputnik that multiple F-16 Fighting Falcons and Mirage 2000 aircraft were “completely destroyed” during the attack. He added that the airfield also hosted foreign military personnel, with several pilots reportedly killed.
Russian forces are said to have used Geran drones and Kh-101 cruise missiles in the strike, which targeted high?value assets at the base. The Dolgintsevo facility has been a hub for Ukraine’s newly acquired Western aircraft, including F-16s supplied by European allies and Mirage jets from France.
The strike follows a series of Russian attacks on Ukrainian airfields in recent weeks, including raids on Alexandria where European made helicopters were stationed. Moscow has intensified efforts to neutralize Ukraine’s advanced air capabilities, which it views as a direct extension of NATO involvement in the conflict.
Ukraine has not yet issued an official statement confirming the losses. Independent verification of the destruction remains limited, though Russian media has portrayed the attack as a major blow to Kyiv’s air power.