China Releases Satellite Images of Bombed Ukrainian Air Force Base

Mention of Precision Strikes on Russian Military Facilities Reveals Chinese Satellite Technology
Russia Controls Ukraine's Skies, Implicitly Suggesting a Tilted Trend

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese state media released satellite images taken by a Chinese artificial satellite showing the runway of a Ukrainian Air Force base destroyed by a Russian attack.

Photo by Global Times capture

The Global Times reported in detail on the runway photos of the Vinnytsia Air Force base in Ukraine, provided by the satellite data service provider SpaceTy on the 1st.

Comparing satellite images taken between February 21 and 24, the media estimated that Russian missiles struck the runway before 5 p.m. on the 24th.

According to the satellite images, the total length of the runway is 2,500 meters, and about 100 meters of the runway were destroyed by the Russian military attack. The remaining runway length is currently 1,600 meters, the Global Times reported.

The media cited experts saying that theoretically, fighter jets can take off using the remaining runway, but if the takeoff weight increases due to weapon loading, fighter jets cannot take off with only 1,600 meters of runway. The destroyed 100 meters of the runway must be restored for Ukrainian fighter jets to take off, the media added.

It also analyzed that although the exact type of missile used in the runway bombing cannot be identified, the Russian military may have used precision-guided ballistic missiles such as cruise missiles.

The Global Times reported that Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated that the Russian Air Force has completely seized and controlled Ukrainian airspace. Konashenkov also claimed, "The Russian Air Force holds air superiority across Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Air Force is unable to respond to the Russian military."

The Chinese state media's report on this day can be interpreted in three major ways. First, it demonstrated the excellence of China's satellite precision imaging technology. By releasing photos of the destroyed runway, it appears to show that China, like the United States, can observe various parts of the world through satellites.

Second, it can be interpreted as indirectly supporting the Russian military's claim that they are precisely targeting military facilities while minimizing civilian casualties. Along with this, it seems to imply that since the Russian Air Force has dominated the skies over Ukraine, the tide has already turned in Russia's favor.

Meanwhile, foreign media such as the U.S. NBC reported on the same day that the Russian military also shelled civilian areas, not just military facilities. NBC reported that on the 28th of last month, the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military fired dozens of shells into civilian residential areas in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Anton Herashchenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, posted on Facebook, "Dozens have died and hundreds have been injured. The whole world must see this horrific scene," along with a video.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.