Ukrainian military intelligence announced that they successfully shot down a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet during an operation in the Black Sea.
Valued at $50 Million
The aircraft, reportedly hit by a portable air defense system, was part of the Russian Aerospace Forces' 43rd Separate Naval Aviation Regiment, based at Sakî Air Base in occupied Crimea.
The Su-30SM, valued at approximately $50 million, lost contact with its crew on the morning of September 11. Following this, Russia launched a search and rescue operation involving an An-26 aircraft and Mi-8 and Ka-27 helicopters.
According to Ukrainian reports, Russian forces identified an oil slick in the sea, 70 kilometers northwest of Cape Tarhankut, and soon discovered the wreckage of the Su-30SM.
Introduced in 2012
Russian officials have not commented on the incident. The Russian Ministry of Defense, on September 11, claimed its forces thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to regain control of the Krym-2 drilling platform in the Black Sea, but there is no evidence linking this event to the downed fighter jet.
The Su-30SM, introduced into Russian service in 2012, is one of Russia’s advanced multi-role fighter jets, designed for air superiority missions and capable of ground attack roles.
Sources from the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, citing Russian reports, claimed the jet had been firing missiles at Ukraine before disappearing from radar. It is alleged that the Su-30SM launched four Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles during its mission.
Dmitro Pletenciuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, noted that since mid-August, Russia has been using only five military airfields in occupied Crimea, two of which have been hit by Ukrainian forces and are now operating at a minimal level.
