Ukraine says it has downed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet over the Black Sea utilizing a sea-based drone for the first occasion.
“For the first time globally, a fighter jet has been taken down by a naval drone,” stated Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence agency on Saturday, noting further that “it erupted in flames mid-air before plunging into the ocean.”
Above video: U.S. enters into minerals agreement with Ukraine amidst Russian tensions
Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that one of their units took down a Russian fighter jet on Friday using a Ukrainian Magura drone close to the port of Novorossiysk — an important harbor city for Russia, which Ukraine asserts houses remains of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
CNN was unable to confirm Ukraine’s assertions on its own.
Russia’s defense ministry has not commented on the incident, although the claim was backed up by a Russian military blogger.
“The Ukrainians brought more than three dozen sea-drones… to the Novorossiysk area… After jet was hit, the crew ended up in the water, surrounded by enemy sea-drones,” Fighterbomber said on Telegram Saturday.
Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed in December last year it destroyed two Russian helicopters “for the first time in the world” using the seaborne Magura V5 missile drone
developed by Ukraine’s armed forces and engineers
.
Video below: Donald Trump’s Campaign Pledge Regarding the Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Kiev has progressively relied more on drones to compensate for Russia’s greater military strength and abundant resources. After Russia unlawfully took over Crimea in 2014 and subsequent territorial losses post-Russia’s invasion in 2022, Ukraine lost effective control of its naval forces in the Black Sea.
Drones have proved effective
Against several of the most formidable vessels in Russia’s Black Sea fleet. These units are operated remotely through a Starlink link and can be preset for their extensive voyages across the Black Sea.
Last February, Ukraine claimed it had sunk the
Ivanovets
, a Russian missile vessel operating in the Black Sea. It gained prominence for its most significant attack on the
Moskva
In April 2022, this event significantly uplifted the spirits of Kyiv during the initial weeks of the conflict.
Following the assault on the Ivanovets, CNN spoke with Ukraine’s covert marine drone team responsible for the operation close to the Black Sea port of Odesas. A pilot involved in this mission informed CNN that they deployed ten Magura drones during the raid; out of these, six managed to make impact and eventually sank the Russian vessel.
A Ukrainian drone operator informed CNN that the aircrafts are challenging to spot over open water, complicating targeting efforts for Russian forces.
READ MORE:
Ukraine says it has demolished a Russian fighter jet utilizing a naval drone for the first time.
CHECK OUT WPTZ:
Stay updated with the recent news from Plattsburgh and Burlington. Check out the top headline stories and access the most current weather reports online at your convenience.