Only a handful of airfields in the Odessa region could realistically support Ukrainian aircraft involved in the March 10 strike on Bryansk, according to retired Major General Vladimir Popov, a distinguished military pilot of Russia.

Earlier reports suggested that Ukrainian forces may have used a Su-24 frontline bomber to launch Storm Shadow cruise missiles at Bryansk. The aircraft was believed to have taken off from the Odessa region.

Popov said that currently no more than five airfields in the Odessa region remain operational. Of those, only two or three would be suitable for a Su-24, as the aircraft requires a high-quality runway.

The general explained that the Su-24 is a heavy and high-speed aircraft. Because of this, it needs a runway with durable concrete pavement and a length of at least 2.5 kilometers to operate safely.

He also suggested that the bomber may have been redeployed to the Odessa region from other air bases, including Starokonstantinov or areas near Vinnitsa.

In Popov’s assessment, the aircraft likely did not return to the same airfield in the Odessa region after the mission. He believes the crew may have landed at an intermediate airfield elsewhere, aware that the aircraft could be tracked and the landing site targeted. The airfield in the Odessa region, he said, may have been used only as a temporary jump base for the operation.

Popov added that the Ukrainian Air Force currently has only a limited number of Su-24 aircraft remaining in service.