Defense Forces destroy Russian combat aircraft for the first time with Magura naval drone strike – video
On May 2, the Defense Forces in the Black Sea eliminated a Russian Su-30 aircraft – the world's first destruction of a combat aircraft by a naval drone. The press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense reported this and published a video of the operation.
The operation was carried out by the GUR special unit in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine and other units of the Defense Forces. The historic strike was carried out by fighters from Group 13 with a Magura unmanned maritime platform missile.
A Russian multi-role fighter jet, estimated to cost around $50 million, burst into flames in mid-air and eventually crashed into the sea.
The GUR added that the successful strike on the enemy aircraft took place in the water area near the port in the city of Novorossiysk, where the Russians are hiding the remains of their Black Sea Fleet.
On the night of May 3, Russians complained about drone and unmanned boat attacks on the Krasnodar Territory. Explosions were heard in Anapa, Taman, and Novorossiysk.
The occupiers claimed the loss of a Su-30, which was allegedly shot down by a naval drone armed with an R-73 anti-aircraft guided missile. The Russians claimed that the pilots managed to eject. They were allegedly taken aboard a civilian vessel.
- On December 31, 2024, soldiers of the GUR Group 13 special forces unit in the area of Cape Tarkhankut, using a Magura V5 equipped with R-73 SeeDragon missiles, destroyed one Mi-8 and shot down a second.
- Later, the GUR released a radio intercept in which the pilot of the downed Mi-8 reports the strike.
- On January 2, 2025, intelligence stated that two Mi-8s had been destroyed , not one.
