Ukraine’s Sea Drones Shoot Down Two Russian Su-30 Fighter Jets in Black Sea

Ukrainian forces have shot down two Russian Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker multirole fighter jets, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said (listed by Russia's financial watchdog as a terrorist and extremist). According to Budanov, the aircraft were targeted with AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles launched from Magura-7 unmanned surface vessels.

Photo: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia---Air/Sukhoi-Su-30SM/2500890/L by Alex Beltyukov is licensed under GNU Free Documentation License

Su-30SM fighter

The Magura V7, used by Ukraine against the Russian jets, is a larger and more advanced version of the earlier Magura V5 maritime drone. 

According to The Aviationist, the V7 is approximately eight meters long and appears to be optimized for rougher sea conditions, carrying a much more sophisticated payload system than earlier models. Notably, it does not carry an explosive charge in the nose like kamikaze drones. Additionally, unlike the earlier V5 model, which carried R-73 missiles, the V7 is equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

The V7 is reportedly capable of striking aerial targets at a range of up to 10 kilometers — a range sufficient to threaten multiple modern aircraft.

The incident demonstrates Ukraine's rapidly advancing technical and operational capabilities, adding another layer of complexity for the Russian Air Force.

Kyiv Calls Naval Strike on Su-30 'Historic Moment'

According to Budanov, this is the first time Ukraine has successfully struck Su-30 Flankers using unmanned surface vehicles. He described the incident as a historic moment.

Budanov specified that the attack occurred on Friday, May 2, in the Black Sea. A video showing one of the Flankers being shot down has circulated on social media. According to him, the second strike was not recorded on camera.

Russian Sailors Rescue Downed Jet Crew

The pilots of the downed Russian jet managed to eject before the Su-30 crashed. Civilian sailors rescued them.

Reports say the military pilots were about 50 kilometers from the coast when they had to abandon their aircraft. They were picked up by a nearby cargo ship and brought to shore alive. Interestingly, the evacuation took place under close observation by Ukrainian sea drones, which reportedly circled the crash site for nearly an hour but did not attack the civilian vessel.

Details

The Sukhoi Su-30 (Russian: Сухой Су-30; NATO reporting name: Flanker-C/G/H) is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union in the 1980s by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air interdiction missions. The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) were reported to have 130 Su-30SMs in operation as of 2024. The Su-30 started as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family by Sukhoi. From the Su-27UB two-seat trainer, the Su-27PU heavy interceptor was developed. The design plan was revamped and the Su-27PU was renamed to Su-30 by the Russian Defense Ministry in 1996. Of the Flanker family, the Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-34 and Su-35 have been ordered into limited or serial production by the Russian Defense Ministry. Later, different export requirements split the Su-30 into two distinct version branches, manufactured by competing organizations: KnAAPO and the Irkut Corporation, both of which come under the Sukhoi aerospace group's umbrella.