On 17 October 2023, several Russian helicopters and air defence equipment were likely struck at Berdyansk and Luhansk airfields, the British Ministry of Defence said in its intelligence report.
Although the extent of damage is currently unconfirmed, it is likely nine Russian military helicopters at Berdyansk and five at Luhansk were destroyed, with Ukraine claiming to have used the US-provided long-range army tactical missiles (ATACMS] for the first time.
"Given that Russian fixed wing close air support to date has been extremely poor, Russian defensive lines have become increasingly reliant on rotary wing support in the face of the Ukrainian offensive," the report reads.
Berdyansk was being used as a primary Forward Operating Base on the southern axis providing both logistics and offensive/defensive capabilities. If confirmed, it is highly likely these losses will have an impact on Russia's ability both to defend and conduct further offensive activity on this axis.
"Given the current strain on Russian military production, the confirmed loss of any air frames will be difficult to replace in the short to medium term," it said.
This loss will also likely create additional pressure on Russia's pilots and air frames, already almost certainly suffering combat exhaustion and maintenance issues due to the unanticipated protracted campaign. There is a realistic possibility this strike will compel Russia to once again relocate its operating bases and command and control nodes farther from the front lines, increasing the burden on logistics chains.