In a major escalation of technological warfare, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR) announced that it successfully downed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet using a missile launched from a sea-based unmanned surface vessel — a move Kyiv calls the world’s first known instance of a crewed combat aircraft being brought down by a naval drone.
The strike reportedly occurred on Friday, around 50 km off the coast of Novorossiisk, a critical Russian naval and commercial hub on the Black Sea. The operation was carried out by GUR’s elite “Group 13” unit and coordinated with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and other military divisions.
A video clip released by Ukrainian authorities claims to show the moment the aircraft was hit. While the footage has not yet been independently verified, Ukraine’s GUR said the jet exploded mid-air before plunging into the sea.
The aircraft targeted was a Russian Su-30 — a high-performance, twin-engine fighter estimated to cost around $50 million. The GUR stated the missile was fired from a Magura V5 drone, a maritime drone Ukraine has been deploying more frequently in recent months.
Following the incident, Novorossiisk’s mayor declared a state of emergency, citing damage caused by a separate Ukrainian drone strike that reportedly hit a grain terminal and nearby residential buildings, injuring at least five civilians.
In retaliation, Russia launched drone attacks on Kyiv overnight. Ukrainian officials reported fires and structural damage in multiple districts from falling fragments of intercepted drones.
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