- Ukraine said it destroyed two Russian jets inside a hangar by sneaking in undetected.
- It adds to a long string of Ukraine’s claimed kills against Russian jets.
- Aircraft have proven vulnerable in this war even while at bases, sparking some concern for the West.
Ukraine said it destroyed two more Russian fighter jets by sneaking into an airfield hangar over the weekend, estimating the destroyed aircrafts’ combined worth at up to $100 million.
The hits add to the large haul of Russian jets Ukraine says it has been able to strike even at bases hundreds of miles from the front lines. Business Insider was not able to independently verify Ukraine’s claim.
Ukraine’s destruction of aircraft has hampered Russia’s ability to be effective in the air in its invasion of Ukraine. It has also caused concern among Western militaries about how well they can protect their own assets if potential adversaries like Russia and China were to use similar tactics against them.
Ukraine says it took down 2 Russian Su-30 aircraft
Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (GUR) reported the kill on Monday, saying its operation put two Russian Su-30 aircraft out of action.
It shared video footage that appeared to be filmed inside a hangar, showing two aircraft tail numbers, the inside of a cockpit, and flames inside at least one aircraft.
The GUR said an agent was able to enter an airfield near the city of Lipetsk in western Russia, attack the jets in the hangar, and then leave the airfield unnoticed as a result of studying its patrol route and guard change schedule.
The Su-30 is a Soviet-designed, twin-engine fighter jet. The GUR originally said that a Su-30 and a Su-27 were hit, but later revised its information to say that it was two Su-30s.