---
title: "UAF Drones Strike Mi-35 and Mi-8 Helicopters at Taganrog-Central Airfield"
description: "Ukrainian drones struck Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters at the Taganrog-Central airfield, 40 km from the border. Satellite imagery shows one Mi-8 destroyed and one Mi-35 damaged. The strike was part of a multi-day series of attacks on 14 Russian regions."
date: 2026-09-08T00:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/uaf-drones-strike-mi-35-and-mi-8-helicopters-at-taganrog-central-airfield
tags: [ukraine-war, drones, taganrog, military-aviation, rostov-region, mi-8, mi-35]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# UAF Drones Strike Mi-35 and Mi-8 Helicopters at Taganrog-Central Airfield

## 🎯 Key Points

- UAF drones struck Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters at the Taganrog-Central airfield in Rostov Oblast
- Satellite imagery shows one Mi-8 destroyed and one Mi-35 damaged; the assessment was made by Absolutely Reliable analysts
- The 325th Aviation Repair Plant for Il-76 maintenance operates at the airfield
- The strike is part of a multi-day series of attacks: on September 6, Rostov-on-Don, the Ryazan Refinery, and 14 regions were hit

Ukrainian defense forces carried out a drone strike on the Taganrog-Central airfield in Rostov Oblast, hitting Russian Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the outlet Military (Militarny). The airfield is located approximately 40 kilometers from the state border with Ukraine, which makes it vulnerable to attacks by medium- and long-range drones. The strike was part of a broader series of night and daytime attacks on Russia's rear infrastructure that continued over several days.

### Strike details and damage assessment from satellite imagery

Analysts from the Telegram channel Absolutely Reliable, who analyzed satellite images of the airfield after the attack, concluded that one Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed and one Mi-35 was damaged. The specific circumstances of the attack — the type of drones used, the time of the strike, and the number of aircraft deployed — are not disclosed in open sources. The damage assessment is currently based solely on data from a single analytical channel, which introduces a certain degree of uncertainty into the overall picture of the damage.

### Strategic significance of the Taganrog-Central airfield

The air base is actively used by the Russian army: the 325th Aviation Repair Plant operates on its territory, specializing in the repair of transport aircraft and components for the Il-76. This makes the airfield not just a base for helicopter units, but a node of logistical and repair infrastructure on which the combat readiness of transport aviation units depends. The destruction of helicopters on the ground, rather than in the air, indicates that the strike was delivered against stationary targets, which significantly increases the effectiveness of drone use compared to interception in flight.

### Context: a series of strikes on Russia's rear

The attack on Taganrog was not an isolated event. The day before, on September 6, the UAF struck the Rostov-on-Don airfield — the very region where Taganrog is located. On the same day, according to data from the company Fire Point, the largest primary oil refining units at the Ryazan Refinery were hit, providing more than 77% of the plant's total capacity. That same evening, the defense forces struck 14 Russian regions with hundreds of drones, although no attack was carried out on Moscow itself. The day before that, the UAF hit a Russian MESH-network repeater, a radio-location station, and an electronic warfare complex. Thus, the strike on Taganrog fits into a sustained multi-day campaign to destroy rear aviation, energy, and telecommunication infrastructure.

### Contradictory data

The assessment of specific damage to the helicopters is based on the analysis of satellite imagery by a single Telegram channel (Absolutely Reliable) and has not been confirmed at the time of publication by official statements from UAF command or the General Staff. In addition, the outlet Focus.ua, in its article on the attacks on Rostov and Taganrog, mentions the destruction of port and railway infrastructure, which may indicate either additional targets within the same strike or a separate episode of the attack not mentioned in the Military report. Discrepancies in the list of hit objects between sources require additional verification.

Altogether, the strike on Taganrog-Central demonstrates the expansion of the geography and depth of Ukrainian drone attacks: from border airfields to major refineries and telecommunication hubs in dozens of regions. For the Russian side, this means the need to redistribute air defense resources and disperse aviation equipment, which in turn reduces the operational effectiveness of aviation units.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Drones strike Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters at Taganrog air base](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/droni-urazili-gelikopteri-mi-35-ta-mi-8-aviabazi-1788826416.html) - Подтверждает факт удара по аэродрому «Таганрог-Центральный», поражение Ми-35 и Ми-8, ссылается на «Милитарный»
- [Odessa ablaze: the response to Taganrog was instant and harsh](https://news.mail.ru/society/71602180/) - Российский источник, фрейминг «ответ за Таганрог» — односторонняя интерпретация; не используется как подтверждение факта удара по Таганрогу
- [Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters hit at Taganrog air base, – analysts](https://www.unian.net/weapons/dronnaya-ataka-na-taganrog-analitiki-soobshchayut-o-porazhenii-vertoletov-mi-35-i-mi-8-13493127.html) - Подтверждает факт поражения вертолётов, указывает на аналитиков как источник оценки
- [Drones attack Rostov and Taganrog: port and railway infrastructure targeted (photo ...](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/762311-udary-po-rf-v-rostove-i-taganroge-progremeli-vzryvy-port-i-zheleznaya-doroga-pod-udarami-foto-video) - Подтверждает атаки на Ростов и Таганрог, но упоминает также порт и ж/д инфраструктуру — возможные дополнительные цели

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What damage was inflicted on the helicopters at the Taganrog airfield?
**A:** According to satellite analysis by the Telegram channel Absolutely Reliable, one Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed and one Mi-35 was damaged as a result of the strike. No official confirmation of these figures from UAF command had been received at the time of publication.

### Q: What is located at the Taganrog-Central airfield?
**A:** The 325th Aviation Repair Plant operates on the airfield's territory, engaged in the repair of transport aircraft and components for the Il-76. The airfield is located approximately 40 km from the border with Ukraine.

### Q: Is the strike on Taganrog a one-off event?
**A:** No. On September 6, the UAF also attacked the Rostov-on-Don airfield, hit the primary processing units at the Ryazan Refinery (more than 77% of capacity), and struck 14 Russian regions with hundreds of drones. The day before, a MESH-network repeater, a radio-location station, and an EW complex were hit.

### Q: Why is the news status 'Confirmed with caveats'?
**A:** The fact of the strike on the airfield is confirmed by several sources (RBC-Ukraine, UNIAN, Focus.ua). However, the specific damage assessment (one destroyed and one damaged helicopter) is based on data from a single analytical channel and has not been officially confirmed.