Kyiv, May 4 , In a significant military development, Ukraine has claimed it successfully downed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet over the Black Sea using a maritime drone reportedly marking the first such instance in modern warfare.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the Russian aircraft was targeted and destroyed by a seaborne attack drone, identified as the Ukrainian-made Magura. The jet reportedly caught fire mid-air before crashing into the sea.
“This marks the first time globally that a combat aircraft has been neutralized by a marine drone,” the statement declared.
The operation was carried out on Friday near the Russian port city of Novorossiysk — a strategically important hub that Ukraine alleges still harbors elements of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
Ukrainian military intelligence attributed the strike to one of its specialized units, underscoring what it described as a breakthrough in naval warfare capabilities