On Monday night, the Ukrainian 14th UAS Regiment—the country’s elite deep-strike unit—struck the Taganrog South Airport in southern Russian, 125 miles from the front line in Ukraine.
The strike, apparently involving Fire Point FP-1 or FP-2 drones, destroyed at least two special testbed airframes parked at the Beriev factory adjacent to the airport: one of two A-60 airborne laser planes and the sole A-100LL, a modified Ilyushin Il-76 transport that tests technologies for the A-100 radar plane program.
A sprawling aircraft workshop also took a hit or two. (See video below.)
It’s possible additional aircraft were damaged or destroyed in the large hangar on the Beriev campus. “In the hangar there is a bonus that will probably remain behind the scenes,” teased Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces.
