Ukrainian Drones Are Hitting Russian Jets Right Before They Take Off
Belbek air base in southern Crimea is one of Russian most important air bases in the region; Ukrainian drones are destroying it
Twice in three days, Ukrainian drones struck Belbek air base in Crimea
The drones hit three Russian warplanes—two right before takeoff
Attacks on the busy air base are increasing in pace and impact
At stake: Russia’s control of the air over occupied Crimea
On Friday night or early Saturday morning, attack drones operated by the Ukrainian state security service—the vaunted SBU—struck Belbek air base in Russian-occupied Crimea, 240 km from the front line in southern Ukraine.
The drones hit two Russian air force Sukhoi Su-27 fighters and destroyed at least one of them, the SBU claimed. Screen grabs from the drones’ video feeds seem to confirm the hits. One of the twin-engine, supersonic Su-27s was reportedly fully armed and preparing for takeoff when the drone barreled in.
The SBU claimed it also hit the control tower at Belbek. Damage to the tower “could complicate the organization and control of flights at the airfield,” the SBU stated.
It was the second SBU raid targeting Belbek in three days. On Dec. 18, the SBU’s drones pummeled the sprawling air base, hitting a Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor, a Pantsir air-defense vehicle and three radars. “The elimination of the components of this echeloned system significantly weakens the enemy’s defense and military capabilities in the Crimean direction,” the SBU claimed.
Not since May 2024 has Belbek—one of Russia’s three busiest air bases in Crimea alongside Saki and Kacha—burned this brightly. On May 15 and 16, 2024, Ukrainian forces bombarded Belbek with American-made ATACMS ballistic missiles, destroying three parked aircraft.
The difference between the 2024 raid and the recent one is that the earlier attacks were not repeatable owing to a shortage of the 1.5-ton, 300-km-range missiles. But Ukraine has long-range attack drones in abundance—and can continue striking Belbek the way it has done in recent days.
Belbek is home to the Russian air force’s 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment, part of the 27th Mixed Aviation Division, which has aircraft scattered across Crimean bases.
Read the rest at Euromaidan Press.
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