Ukrainian Forces Strike Su-30SM and MiG-29 Fighter Jets

The 1st Separate Center of Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces struck Su-30SM and MiG-29 fighter jets, as well as an Orion strike-reconnaissance UAV, at Vityazevo airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai.

Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert ‘Madyar’ Brovdi published footage of the strikes.

Judging by the released footage, the Unmanned Systems Forces unit appears to have misidentified the fighter as a Su-33. The distinctive hump behind the cockpit, characteristic of the two-seat aircraft, indicates that it was actually a Su-30SM.

The drone attacking the Su-30SM failed to hit the aircraft directly, exploding nearby and starting a fire that Russian personnel attempted to extinguish. However, even such a strike is sufficient to put the fighter out of service for an extended period.

Russia actively uses Su-30 fighters based in the country’s southern regions to conduct attacks on Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, as well as targets in the Black Sea, using Kh-31 and Kh-59 missiles.

The fighters are also used to patrol occupied territories, counter Ukrainian aircraft, intercept long-range drones and cruise missiles, and attack Ukrainian naval drones.

During battle-damage assessment, a second drone spotted a MiG-29 fighter. On another approach, the strike drone managed to hit the aircraft directly, causing a major fire.

Despite their age and the availability of significant numbers of newer Su-30 and Su-35 fighters, Russia continues to actively operate MiG-29s, mainly to intercept strike drones.

During the attack, the drone operators also detected an Orion strike-reconnaissance UAV, which was struck by a third Ukrainian drone in a near miss.

Orion UAVs are used to launch small Banderol cruise missiles. They can also serve as relay platforms for strike UAVs and naval drones. In addition, the drones are used to patrol the Black Sea to detect and destroy Ukrainian unmanned boats and provide targeting support for strikes against the Ukrainian coast.

Vityazevo is a joint-use airfield that hosts an aviation commandant’s office of the Russian Navy. The airfield’s infrastructure was modernized between 2013 and 2017, including a separate technical parking area, an aircraft maintenance facility, and dedicated control and meteorological facilities for military use.

Satellite imagery confirms the regular presence and operation of Su-24 aircraft, likely reconnaissance variants, as well as Su-30 and Su-34 aircraft at the airfield. The damaged Su-30SM is believed to belong to the 43rd Independent Naval Assault Aviation Regiment, which was forced to relocate to airfields in Krasnodar Krai due to repeated Ukrainian strikes on Crimea.

In late July, a Russian military aircraft, likely a Su-57 fighter, crashed in the Moscow region. Shortly before that, the 15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade “Black Forest” struck a MiG-29 fighter at the Khalino military airfield in Russia’s Kursk region.