MOSCOW: Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that it had destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets and damaged two more the Myrhorod airfield in Ukraine’s Poltava region with Iskander-M missiles.

The ministry published footage of the attack which showed smoke and flames rising from an airfield.

“As a result of the Russian strike, five active SU-27 multi-purpose fighters were destroyed and two were damaged,” the ministry said.

Russia is targeting Ukrainian airfields just as Kyiv prepares to receive the first U.S.-designed F-16s which Moscow has vowed to destroy.