Ukrainian Intelligence Drone Attack Hits Five Russian Fighter Jets In Crimea, One Sukhoi Su-30 BC Destroyed

Ukrainian drone forces on the battlefield. (Wikimedia Commons/Obviously

JAKARTA - A drone strike launched by Ukrainian intelligence agency Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), hit five Russian fighter jets on the airfield in Saky, Crimea on Monday.

The Ukrainian drone, on the mission of the "A" Special Operations Center, destroyed a Sukhoi Su-30SM aircraft, damaged one other aircraft, hit three Sukhoi Su-24s, and hit a flight gun depot.

"The special operation that was successfully carried out by SBU in Saky marks another step towards weakening enemy capacity to launch an aggression war against Ukraine," said SBU, quoted from The Kyiv Independent August 4.

Saky's air base played an important role in Russia's military operations in the Black Sea, and the damage from the Ukrainian attack was deemed "significant," with one Su-30SM jet worth between $35 million and $50 million, according to SBU.

The Kyiv Independent was unable to independently verify the claim.

Russia has not yet made official comments regarding the reported attacks.

The Su-30SM fighter jets are dual-engined and two-seat multi-role fighters developed by Russia, with production starting in the early 2010s.

Meanwhile, Su-24 is a supersonic attack bomber for all the dual-engine weather developed by the Soviet Union, with production starting in the early 1970s.

Russia deployed these fighter jets for routine attacks on Ukraine, as well as for patrols, radar surveillance, target guidance, and remote aircraft escort.

This is not Ukraine's first successful drone operation against Russian aircraft. Previously, Ukraine carried out an unprecedented mass drone strike as part of a Spider Net Operation on June 1, targeting four Russian air bases deep within the country.

During the attack, Ukrainian troops reportedly damaged 41 aircraft, using unmanned aircraft hidden in trucks at several locations across Russia.

Ukraine has also carried out several successful attacks on Russia's targets in occupied Crimea and its surroundings, which severely weaken Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Ukrainian drones have destroyed several Russian warships, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, the Sergei Kotov patrol boat, the Ivanovets missile corvette, and several high-speed landing vessels.