At least eight Russian military aircraft were damaged or destroyed in a recent attack on the Saka airbase in Crimea, according to newly released satellite images, contrary to Russia’s claims that none were destroyed.

Kyiv, which has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, said it lost nine Russian planes. “Over the course of a day, the occupiers lost 10 fighter jets: nine in Crimea and one more in the direction of Zaporizhzhia,” Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in a message on Wednesday evening.

Russia tried to downplay the attack, denying that any planes were damaged in the blast and admitting only that “several aviation munitions were detonated.”

Satellite images show otherwise. Planet Labs images show large areas of scorched earth and runway damage, as well as the charred remains of military aircraft.

They were taken at around 8am on August 9 – about four hours before the attack – and around 4.40pm on August 10, and show at least eight planes damaged or destroyed, The Guardian said.

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