Drones operated by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck five Russian fighter jets overnight on Aug. 4 at an airfield in Saky, a city in Russian-occupied Crimea, the agency said.
Ukrainian drones, in a Special Operations Center "A" mission, destroyed a Su-30SM aircraft, damaged another, hit three Su-24s, and struck an aviation weapons depot.
"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 said.
Russia deploys these fighter jets for regular attacks on Ukraine, as well as for patrols, radar surveillance, target guidance, and escorting long-range aircraft.
This is not Ukraine's first successful drone operation against Russian aircraft.
Ukraine carried out an unprecedented mass drone strike as part of the Operation Spiderweb on June 1, targeting four Russian air bases deep inside the country.
Ukraine has also carried out several successful attacks against Russian targets in occupied Crimea and its vicinity, heavily degrading the Russian Black Sea Fleet. »