In a groundbreaking operation, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) successfully downed two Russian Su-30 fighter jets using air-to-air missiles fired from Magura-7 sea drones near Novorossiysk on May 2, 2025. The attack, confirmed by HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov, marks the first instance of unmanned drones downing fighter jets in history, reads a Kyiv Independent report.
Initially, reports only confirmed the destruction of one jet, but Budanov later clarified that two aircraft were involved in the strike. “It’s a historical moment,” he stated. The operation was executed by Group 13, a special operations unit within HUR. A video of the first downed jet was widely shared on social media, though no footage of the second strike has emerged.
According to Budanov, the crew of the first Su-30 was rescued by a civilian vessel, while the crew of the second jet is believed to have been killed. The Su-30, a $50 million twin-engine, two-seat fighter designed by Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau, was reportedly hit midair before crashing into the Black Sea.
The Magura-7 drone, used in this mission, is an air-defense version of the Magura-5, which had previously downed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters in December 2024. Ukraine has increasingly relied on maritime drones to target Russian assets in the Black Sea, with earlier successful strikes sinking notable Russian ships, such as the Sergey Kotov and Caesar Kunikov.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
