Evidence

Multiple independent outlets corroborate the core claim. Ukrainska Pravda, Kyiv Independent, Ukrinform, Militarnyi, and Mezha.net all reported that a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber was damaged during a Ukrainian drone strike on the Akhtubinsk airfield (Astrakhan region) on the night of August 19-20, and that satellite imagery of the damage was published by the OSINT project/Telegram channel Exilenova+. Crucially, Ukrinform and Kyiv Independent also reported that Ukraine's General Staff officially confirmed the strike and the damage to the Su-34 via a Telegram statement, providing independent military confirmation beyond the OSINT imagery alone. Militarnyi additionally described the satellite comparison showing a fuel spill and aircraft being moved/evacuated after the strike. No dedicated fact-check from Reuters, AFP, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo specifically examining this claim was found, but the claim is not disputed by any of the outlets reviewed and aligns with a broader pattern of similar Exilenova+ satellite reporting on other Russian airbases (e.g., Shagol) that was also picked up by Euromaidan Press and Kyiv Post.