Russian Air Force An-12 Destroyed

Ukraine's Security Service struck the Rostov-on-Don Tsentralny military airfield with long-range drones overnight into 17 September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, reporting the destruction of one An-12 and two An-26 transports along with three helicopters on the parking apron. The service said a fire broke out among the parked aircraft and was followed by secondary detonations of ammunition; the Institute for the Study of War recorded the claim and cited geolocated footage of a large explosion at the base. The regional governor acknowledged a fire but not the aircraft losses, and the condition of the airframes has not been independently verified. The field is a southern hub for Russian military transport aviation.