A Russian air base on Ukraine’s annexed Crimean Peninsula suffered massive destruction from several explosions on August 9, satellite imagery made available on August 10 shows.
The Russian Navy's Saky Air Base near the village of Novofedorivka lost at least nine military aircraft, including Su-30SM fighters and Su-24M bombers, an analysis of before-and-after images by Schemes, an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, indicates.
Several buildings on the base that may have housed ammunition were destroyed, as well.
WATCH: Massive explosions hit a military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine has stopped short of officially claiming responsibility, and speculation over what triggered the conflagration continues. Many locals doubt Russia's claim that the blasts were an accident.
Russia has been using the Saky Air Base, located on the western side of Crimea, to regularly strike Ukrainian territory since it launched an invasion of the country on February 24.
The exact cause of the August 9 explosions is unknown.
Unidentified Ukrainian officials have told U.S. media that their armed forces were responsible for the explosions but did not give further details.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has denied the base was attacked, blaming the explosions on a “violation of fire safety requirements.”
However, the August 10 satellite images show several large craters of similar size, indicating it was hit by multiple strikes.
Military analysts called the destruction a huge blow for Russia and a psychological win for Ukraine.
Videos posted to social media on August 9 show several explosions at the base and billows of thick, gray smoke rising into the sky.
Homes, cars, and other objects in the vicinity of the base were damaged, with windows blown out. The Russia-appointed head of Crimea said on August 9 that the blasts killed one person and injured 14. Sergei Aksyonov also said at least 80 buildings were damaged.
Analysts said aircraft at the base that survived the explosion are probably damaged.
There were as many as 30 military aircraft at the base on August 9, according to the satellite images.
Robert Lee, a military analyst, said Russia lacked hangars for their aircraft at Saky.
Satellite Images Of Russian Base In Occupied Crimea Before And After Massive Explosions
Many of the planes would have survived the explosion had Russia built hardened aircraft shelters, he said in a tweet.
If Ukraine were behind the explosions, it would be Kyiv’s first major attack on Russian forces in Crimea, which Moscow forcibly annexed in 2014.
It would also show that Ukraine has the technical capability for a long-distance strike and the ability to catch Russia off guard, said Volodymyr Dubovyk, a professor of international relations at Mechnikov National University in Odesa.
