Ukrainian drones from the Security Service’s (SBU) elite CSO “A” unit struck Russia’s Saky airfield in occupied Crimea overnight, reportedly destroying a combat aircraft and causing millions in damage.
As a result of the Ukrainian strike, a Su-30SM fighter jet was completely destroyed, while another was severely damaged, according to the SBU’s press service on Monday, Aug. 4.
Additionally, three Su-24 bombers were hit. The strike also targeted an ammunition depot located on the base.
The “Saky” airfield is one of the main Russian air bases in temporarily occupied Crimea and plays a key role in supporting Russia’s combat operations in the Black Sea.
“As a result of the special operation by CSO ‘A’ of the SBU, an aviation ammunition depot on the airfield was also hit,” the SBU stated.
According to open-source data, the estimated cost of a single Su-30SM aircraft ranges from $35-50 million. Thus, Russia’s total losses from the attack may amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, not including the ammunition stored at the depot.
“The successful SBU special operation in Saky is another step toward weakening the enemy’s ability to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine. The occupiers must remember that they will never feel safe on our land!” the SBU added.
The strike is part of the SBU’s broader effort to weaken Russia’s military infrastructure in occupied Crimea. In recent months, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted radars, air defense systems, and ammunition depots on the peninsula.
On June 1, Ukraine carried out a large-scale drone strike on Russian airfields thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border as part of its Operation Spiderweb.
The drones, equipped with artificial intelligence and launched from cargo trucks inside Russia, reportedly damaged or destroyed more than 40 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers and an A-50 airborne radar plane. The estimated cost of the damage ranged from $2 billion to as high as $7 billion, Ukrainian officials said.
