Armored Shelters Couldn't Save These Russian Warplanes in Crimea
Ukraine's state security agency, the SBU, made a bad summer for Russian air power much worse
On the night of Aug. 3, the SBU’s attack drones “visited” Saky airfield, 150 miles from the front line in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to the SBU.
The explosive drones destroyed one Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet and damaged another—and also damaged three Sukhoi Su-24 bombers, the SBU claimed. An aviation depot, potentially containing weapons or fuel, was also hit, according to the SBU.
“The successful special operation of the SBU in Saky is another step towards weakening the enemy’s ability to wage a war of aggression against Ukraine,” the SBU announced. “The occupiers should remember that they will never feel safe on our land!”
What’s especially embarrassing to the Russians is that they’d just finished building at least 12 concrete bunker shelters at Saky to house the aircraft operating from the often-attacked base. “Inside these reinforced shelters, we’ve identified both jets and larger drones, including the Orion,” reported Tatarigami, the head of the Ukrainian Frontelligence Insight analysis group.
The shelters didn’t fully protect the planes at Saky, if the SBU’s claims are accurate.