Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), it destroyed a Russian jet fighter and damaged four more military aircraft in a drone attack on Russian-occupied Crimea, it said on Monday.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported that drones destroyed five Russian fighter jets as they were targeted as part of an SBU operation overnight on August 4 at an airfield in Saky, a city in Russian-occupied Crimea.
What damage did Ukraine’s drones inflict in Crimea?
The statement reported that a military aviation depot was hit, resulting in the complete destruction of one Su-30, damage to another, and damage to three Su-24 jet bombers. Ukrainian drones, during a mission in Special Operations Centre “A,” destroyed a Su-30SM aircraft, damaged another, hit three Su-24s, and targeted an aviation weapons depot.
The Saky airbase is vital to Russia’s military actions in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian strike caused “significant” damage, and a single Su-30SM jet, worth between $35 million and $50 million, was affected, as reported by the SBU.
“The successful special operation carried out by the SBU in Saky marks another step toward weakening the enemy’s capacity to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine,”
SBU stated.
How do Su-30 and Su-24 aircraft differ?
The Su-30MS is a twin-engine, two-seat multirole fighter jet developed by Russia, first produced in the early 2010s. The Su-34 is a twin-engine, all-weather supersonic strike bomber developed by the Soviet Union, with production beginning in the early 1970s.
Russia employs its fighter jets for more than just routine assaults on Ukraine, but more generally for patrolling, radar surveillance, target identification, and escort for long-range aircraft.
Has Ukraine attacked Russian aircraft successfully before?
This isn’t Ukraine’s first successful drone strike against Russian aircraft. In June, as part of Operation Spiderweb, Ukraine conducted an unprecedented mass drone attack targeting four Russian air bases deep within the country. Reports indicate Ukrainian forces damaged 41 aircraft during the operation, with drones hidden in trucks at various locations across Russia.
Ukraine has launched several successful strikes on Russian targets in occupied Crimea and nearby areas, significantly weakening the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Ukrainian drones have damaged or destroyed multiple Russian vessels, such as the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, Sergei Kotov patrol ship, Ivanovets missile corvette, and numerous high-speed landing crafts.
