Additional Coverage:
- Ukraine says it shot down a $50M Su-30 Russian fighter jet, sending it crashing into the Black Sea (newsbreak.com)
Ukraine has announced that it successfully downed a Russian Su-30 jet over the Black Sea, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence. The agency shared a video purportedly showing the strike, although the footage is dramatic yet inconclusive.
On Wednesday morning, a Ukrainian special forces unit used a man-portable air defense system, or MANPADS, to target the Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM. The jet reportedly crashed into the sea approximately 44 miles northwest of Cape Tarkhankut in western Crimea. Officials revealed this information in a Telegram post.
The jet, valued at around $50 million, was part of the 43rd Separate Naval Aviation Regiment of the Russian army stationed at Saki airbase in western Crimea. The video footage released includes aerial images transitioning to what seems to be the MANPADS’ targeting view, capturing a fighter jet in its crosshairs before it descends. Grainy footage then shows a bright dot trailing smoke.
According to the post, Russian forces lost contact with the aircraft around 5 a.m. local time and initiated a search and rescue operation three hours later. Signs of jet fuel and plane wreckage were discovered on the water.
Business Insider has yet to independently confirm the report.
In a related tweet, Ukraine’s special unit was commended for their action, showcasing the destroyed Su-30SM over the Black Sea with MANPADS.
The Crimean Wind, a pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel monitoring developments in Crimea, also reported the missing Russian jet. They cited a Ukrainian army source who mentioned the Su-30 was accompanied by a Su-35 and had launched four Kh-31P missiles before disappearing from radar.
Initially, Crimean Wind reported the jet was based out of Krymsk, Russia, but later corrected this to indicate it was from Saki. They also revealed that the MANPADS, which have a range of about 3.2 miles, were launched from a Ukrainian vessel, which explains Ukraine’s capability to target the aircraft from a distance typically out of range for such systems from Ukrainian-held territory.
The Su-30 is a versatile aircraft designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.
As of Thursday, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia has lost 370 combat aircraft since the start of its extensive invasion. Oryx, an open-source intelligence site that uses visual evidence to track military losses, has confirmed 11 Russian Su-30s lost since February 2022.
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