Ukrainian Drones Target Be-12 Aircraft at Yevpatoriia Repair Plant

Ukrainian Defense Forces hit two Be-12 anti-submarine aircraft in temporarily occupied Crimea using strike drones.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published the photos of the attack.

According to the General Staff, the aircraft were hit on the night of February 21, 2026, in the city of Yevpatoriia, on the building of the Yevpatoriia Aviation Repair Plant.

Typically, these aircraft in Crimea are based at the Kacha airfield near Sevastopol. Given the reported location of the strike, the Defense Forces may have targeted aircraft undergoing repair or maintenance.

Another possibility is that decommissioned or captured aircraft located at the plant and used as spare parts donors were destroyed. In particular, several Be-12 aircraft from the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy remain in Yevpatoriia after they were unable to be relocated to Ukrainian-controlled territory following Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Be-12 Aircraft

The Be-12 is an amphibious aircraft designed for long-duration maritime patrol missions. Equipped with floats, it can land on water, enabling it to be used for search-and-rescue operations.

In the Black Sea, Russia uses the aircraft primarily to counter Ukrainian naval drones. They patrol maritime areas and attack detected surface drones with aerial bombs.

As the aircraft has not been produced since the 1970s, Russia relies on cannibalizing decommissioned airframes to maintain and repair the existing fleet.

Estimates suggest that fewer than 20 such aircraft remain in service with Russian naval aviation, where they are used for Black Sea patrol and search-and-rescue missions.

In September 2025, strike drones of the Ghost unit of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reportedly hit two Russian Be-12 amphibious aircraft at the Kacha airfield.

As the aircraft were parked in the open, drone operators were able to conduct targeted strikes. Subsequent satellite imagery confirmed the destruction of one An-26 transport aircraft and damage to two anti-submarine aircraft.