Ukraine strikes five Russian fighter jets at the airfield in annexed Crimea

Five Russian fighter jets have been hit in an overnight drone attack by Ukraine’s security service at an airfield in Saky in Russia-annexed Crimea.

SBU stated that its Special Operations Centre "A" mission’s drones destroyed one SU-30SM aircraft, damaged another and hit three Su-24s while also striking the aviation weapons depot.

"The successful special operation carried out by the SBU in Saky marks another step toward weakening the enemy's capacity to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine," security service said.

Su-30SM is a twin-engine, two-seat multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russia, with production beginning in the early 2010s. This fighter jet is priced between €30 and €43 million.

The Su-24 is a strike bomber developed by the Soviet Union, with production starting in the early 1970s.

The Saky airbase plays a critical role in Russia's military operations in the Black Sea and its regular attacks on Ukraine, as well as patrolling, radar surveillance, target guidance and escorting long-range aircraft.

Kyiv has heavily degraded the Russian Black Sea Fleet and Moscow’s military capabilities in the area.

Ukrainian drones destroyed several Russian vessels, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, the Sergei Kotov patrol ship and the Ivanovets missile corvette, forcing Moscow to relocate its ships away from Crimea.

Ukraine has also recently intensified its efforts in targeting Russian airfields and warplanes used to regularly bomb Ukraine.

On 1 June Ukraine carried out an unprecedented Operation Spiderweb. In a mass drone attack, Kyiv targeted four Russian air bases in the deep rear of Russia.

During the attack, Ukrainian forces reportedly damaged 41 aircraft, using drones concealed in trucks at multiple locations across Russia.