Ukraine's naval drone makes history, downs Russian jet
A Ukrainian naval drone named Magura has successfully destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet, valued at approximately $50 million, according to a report by Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) on Saturday. This marks the world's first recorded destruction of a combat aircraft by a naval drone.
What do you need to know?
- Where did the attack take place? The attack occurred near the city of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar Krai region of southern Russia.
- When was the fighter jet destroyed? The incident took place on May 2, 2025.
- What is the significance of this attack? It is a groundbreaking event, being the world's first combat aircraft destruction by a naval drone, as stated by HUR.
"Warriors of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) destroyed an enemy combat aircraft with a Magura naval drone strike," read the statement from HUR on Telegram. It continued:
"On May 2, 2025, a special unit of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine of the Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Defense Forces of Ukraine, liquidated the Russian Su-30 in the Black Sea - this is the first destruction of a combat aircraft by a naval drone in the world."
Historic attack. HUR issues a statement
The attack was executed by soldiers from the HUR special unit Group 13 using a missile from the Magura unmanned maritime platform. "The multi-role fighter jet of the Russian aggressor, estimated to be worth around $50 million, caught fire in the air and eventually fell into the sea," it was reported.
"The successful operation against the enemy combat aircraft took place in waters near the port city of Novorossiysk, where the Russians are concealing the remnants of their Black Sea Fleet," HUR added.
It is noteworthy that in 2024, using the Magura V5 rocket naval drone, Ukrainian military intelligence made history by destroying an aerial target for the first time - specifically, two Russian Mi-8 helicopters.
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