Russian MiG-29 fighter jet destroyed in HUR drone attack on Crimea
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) struck a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet and an Irtysh radar system in Russian-occupied Crimea, the agency said.
Both attacks were carried out with long-range drones on the night of Dec. 4 by the Prymary ("Ghosts") unit, the HUR said in a post on Telegram.
The MiG-29 fighter, developed in the Soviet Union and still one of the mainstays of Ukraine's own air force, was destroyed at the Kacha air base, just outside the occupied port city of Sevastopol, while the radar was struck near the Crimean capital of Simferopol.
"HUR special forces continue to systematically Moscow's air defense system over the temporarily occupied peninsula, destroying radars, anti-aircraft systems, and now also fighter aircraft of the Russian Armed Forces," the message said.
Videos accompanying the post showed the jet and the radar respectively appearing in the crosshairs of HUR's drones, which subsequently approached and struck its targets. The exact type of drone used in the attack was not specified.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the final outcome nor the damage caused by the attack.
Ever since first illegally annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has thoroughly militarized the peninsula, using it as a base for regular missile and drone attacks against Ukraine, operations in the Black Sea, as well as land operations into southern Ukraine.
Since 2023, Ukraine has steadily increased its options for striking Russian targets in Crimea, using both airborne and maritime drones, depending on the target.
In August, HUR claimed to have it a 91N6E radar system, part of the advanced S-400 air defense system, while in September, in the first strike of its kind, two Beriev Be-12 military flying boats were destroyed.
