Key facts
- Ukrainian drones struck a Su-35 and a Su-34 fighter jet at the Khanskaya military airfield in Adygea.
- An ammunition depot at the airfield was also struck, according to the SBU.
- The SBU estimated the export value of a Su-35 at $100 million and a Su-34 at $50 million.
- Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 559 Ukrainian drones between Oct. 3 and Oct. 4.
Ukrainian drones operated by the SBU's Alpha special operations unit struck two Russian fighter aircraft and an ammunition depot at the Khanskaya military airfield in Russia's Republic of Adygea on Oct. 4. The airfield is located approximately 500 kilometers from Ukrainian territory.
The SBU stated that the targeted aircraft, a Su-35 multirole fighter jet and a Su-34 fighter-bomber, are capable of carrying guided aerial bombs that Russia has used against Ukrainian cities and front lines. The agency estimated the export value of a Su-35 at around $100 million and a Su-34 at around $50 million. The extent of the damage to the aircraft and the ammunition depot could not be independently verified.
The SBU described the strike as part of its systematic targeting of Russian military facilities to reduce Moscow's ability to wage war. Russia's Defense Ministry separately claimed that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 559 Ukrainian drones between 8 p.m. on Oct. 3 and 8 a.m. on Oct. 4, with drones detected over multiple Russian regions, including Adygea, as well as occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. This claim could not be independently verified.
The attack follows other recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian military aviation, including a Sept. 16 strike on a Su-24 bomber at the Saky air base in occupied Crimea. Ukraine frequently uses long-range drones to target Russian military airfields and defense infrastructure.