Explosions echoed across the pre-dawn sky as Ukrainian air defenses intercepted a Russian attack on Starokostiantyniv, a small city in western Ukraine with a significant air base, often targeted by Moscow's strikes. Despite the June 27 assault, the streets of Starokostiantyniv soon returned to normalcy. However, the attack underscored the challenges Kyiv faces as it rebuilds its air force and prepares to deploy the first U.S.-designed F-16s, which Russia will aim to neutralize. These fighter jets are expected to arrive this month, with hopes that they will bolster Ukrainian forces against the Russian onslaught along the front line, including disrupting devastating glide bombs.

Officials have not disclosed the F-16s' base locations, but after the recent strike on Starokostiantyniv, Moscow claimed it targeted airfields expected to house the jets. The air base has faced frequent attacks since Russia's invasion in February 2022, including drone and hypersonic missile strikes. Residents of this historic military outpost, home to around 30,000 people and nicknamed Starkon, have adapted to the constant threat. City official and local culture expert Vasyl Muliar wryly remarked, "In short, it's 'fun' to live here," after the latest attack.

A Ukrainian air force spokesman acknowledged the challenges posed by the strikes but asserted that they would not hinder the F-16s' delivery or operational use. On Tuesday, Russia's defense ministry claimed to have destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets at Myrhorod airfield in the Poltava region, a claim Ukraine disputed as exaggerated. Military analysts suggest that Russia is likely targeting air base infrastructure, such as runways and storage facilities, to complicate the F-16s' deployment and operations. Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute noted that Ukraine, low on air-defense ammunition, might have to frequently relocate the valuable jets.

Following last Thursday's attack, Governor Serhiy Tyurin reported that air defenses had destroyed nine targets over the Khmelnytskyi region. Before the attack, the air force warned residents of incoming drones. Locals, cautious not to reveal sensitive military details, described living under constant threat and the frequent roar of Ukrainian warplanes. Iryna Sapchuk, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper "Our City," recounted that her parents' home was previously hit, damaging the roof and shed, with missile debris found in a cherry tree by the window.

Despite the ongoing war and frequent power outages due to Russian attacks on the energy system, residents projected resilience. Road works continued under the streaking jets, and families and teenagers gathered at the local beach to cool off. Sapchuk joked that she finds it unsettlingly quiet when traveling outside the city, as the sound of warplanes has become a comforting sign of Ukraine's resistance. Muliar highlighted Starokostiantyniv's historical role as a defense bastion since the 16th century and a nerve center for independence fighters after World War One, emphasizing, "This was always a center of resistance."