Ukraine’s intelligence service has carried out another attack against Russian military aviation in occupied Crimea, targeting a MiG‑29 fighter jet and a radar installation during an overnight operation.
According to the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, an armed Ukrainian drone struck a MiG‑29 stationed at the Kacha airfield near Sevastopol.
The operation was conducted by the “Prymari,” a special‑purpose unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, known as GUR. The aircraft, manufactured by Mikoyan and operated by Russian forces in Crimea, was parked on the apron at the time of the strike, the report said.
In the same nighttime operation, the “Prymari” (Ghosts) also targeted an “Irtysh” airfield radar complex near Russian‑occupied Simferopol. The strike damaged equipment used to support local air-defense and flight‑control operations.
In a statement quoted by Militarnyi, GUR said: “Special units of the GUR continue to systematically weaken the air‑defense system of the occupiers over the temporarily occupied peninsula, destroying radars, anti‑aircraft systems, and now—fighter aviation.”
Ukrainian forces have previously struck Russian fighter jets in Crimea. In May 2024, a U.S.‑made ATACMS missile strike hit Belbek airfield, damaging or destroying MiG‑31, Su‑27, and MiG‑29 aircraft.
In 2025, Ukraine has increasingly relied on long‑range attack drones to penetrate Russian air defenses in Crimea and strike high‑value military targets. These systems—built domestically and controlled via satellite or encrypted long‑range links—have enabled Ukraine to reach airbases, command posts, and air‑defense nodes deeper inside occupied territory.
The latest operation reflects a pattern in which Ukrainian intelligence units focus on degrading Russian radar coverage, disrupting command‑and‑control architecture, and reducing the availability of combat aircraft. By targeting both the MiG‑29 and the Irtysh radar complex in the same night, Ukrainian operators aimed at diminishing Russia’s ability to detect, track, and respond to further strikes.
Ukrainian officials say these attacks are part of an ongoing effort to complicate Russia’s air operations over Crimea, support future Ukrainian strikes, and reduce the number of Russian sorties launched from the peninsula. While Russia has strengthened air‑defense batteries around Sevastopol, Yevpatoria, and Dzhankoi, recent Ukrainian drone attacks demonstrate that Ukrainian forces can still reach hardened sites.
The MiG‑29, a twin‑engine fighter first introduced in the Soviet era, remains part of Russia’s air fleet for air‑defense and patrol missions over Crimea. Its loss reduces the aircraft available for quick‑reaction alerts—one of the missions key to protecting Russian positions on the peninsula.
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