The GUR reported the destruction of a military An-72 aircraft near Moscow.

The Main Intelligence Directorate has confirmed the detonation of an An-72 aircraft at an airfield near Moscow. The explosion occurred on December 12 at the "Ostafyevo" airfield, as reported by the GUR press service on Friday, December 20.

According to intelligence sources, the explosion occurred approximately 10 km from the outskirts of Moscow, specifically at the "Ostafyevo" airfield. The GUR confirmed the explosion in the main power unit of the military transport aircraft An-72, which belonged to the Russian army's naval forces.

In a video released by the intelligence agency, a flash of light and the sound of the explosion can be seen at the "Ostafyevo" airfield.

“The estimated cost of the damaged Russian aircraft is about 4.5 million dollars. The GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reminds that there will be just retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people,” the GUR press service stated.

However, the GUR did not clarify whether Ukrainian forces were involved in the explosion at the airfield.

It should be noted that "Ostafyevo" was established in 1934 as an airfield for the NKVD. Later, the airfield was transferred to the Russian Ministry of Defense and transformed into a military airbase.

Only in 2000 was the airfield opened for civilian flights. In addition to civilian operations, "Ostafyevo" can accommodate Il-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft, tactical military transport planes An-12, An-72, and their modification An-74, as well as helicopters of all types. It is worth mentioning that since 2010, several helicopters from the state institution "Moscow Aviation Center" have been based at the airfield, including Ka-32, EC-135/145, and Mi-26.