Ukraine destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet using a missile fired from a seaborne drone, Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency said on Saturday, in what it said was the world’s first downing of a combat plane by a maritime drone.
Its statement on social media said the fighter had been shot down by a military intelligence unit called Group 13 on Friday over waters near Novorossiysk, a major Russian port city on the Black Sea.
Outmanned and outgunned by its larger, wealthier Russian adversary, Ukraine has turned to drone warfare in the air and at sea as a way to fight back throughout the three years of full-scale war.
Ukraine’s seaborne drones, which are much cheaper and smaller than conventional ships, have wrought havoc on Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
Ukraine has previously said it shot down a Russian military helicopter in December 2024 using a missile fired from the same type of seaborne drone.
A view from the cockpit of a Russian Su-30 fighter jet during a training mission in January 2022. Photo: AP
On Friday the Russian Su-30 jet was hit by a missile and crashed into the sea near the naval port of Novorossiysk, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Saturday, publishing a video of the alleged launch over the Black Sea.