Ukrainian soldiers shot down a Russian Su-30SM aircraft during an operation in the Black Sea, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) said on Sept. 12.
The Su-30SM was reportedly destroyed by a man-portable air defense system and belonged to the 43rd Separate Naval Aviation Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which is based at the Saky air base in occupied Crimea.
The fighter jet has an estimated price tag of around $50 million.
The Russian military lost contact with the flight crew on the morning of Sept. 11, according to HUR. Soon after, Russia launched a search and rescue operation using an An-26 aircraft and Mi-8 and Ka-27 helicopters, the agency said.
"The (Russian military) briefed the command about a distinctive stain of aviation fuel in the sea, 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Cape Tarkhankut, and soon saw the wreckage of the destroyed Su-30SM," HUR said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.
The agency did not disclose details of the operation in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sept. 11 that its forces had thwarted Ukraine's attempt to regain control of the Krym-2 drilling rig in the Black Sea.
There is no evidence that the two events are connected. The military intelligence agency has not responded to the Kyiv Independent's request for comment.
Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said that as of mid-August, Russia was using only five military airfields in occupied Crimea, two of which were hit by the Ukrainian military and were functioning "at a minimum."
Oleg Sukhov
