Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says long-range drones struck and destroyed a Russian Su-27 fighter jet at the Belbek military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea, marking a second successful deep-strike on the base within days. The agency said the combined cost of the two aircraft hit in the latest attack is about $70 million.
The attack coincides with U.S. and Russian officials preparing new talks in Florida aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, even as Moscow’s envoy criticized “warmongers” he said are working to undermine a U.S.-backed peace plan.
Why It Matters
If confirmed, the targeted strike against Russian combat aircraft at Belbek — a key hub for fighter deployments in the Black Sea region — shows Kyiv is expanding its long-distance drone capabilities beyond tactical targets, undermining Russia’s ability to project air power from occupied territory.
The timing — on the eve of fresh U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks — may complicate diplomatic efforts to halt nearly four years of conflict, as Kyiv ramps up pressure on Russian military assets while Washington pushes for negotiated steps.
What To Know
• Ukraine’s SBU Special Operations Center said its long-range drones struck two Russian Su-27 fighter jets at the Belbek airfield near Sevastopol early on Dec. 20; one aircraft, fully armed and ready for a mission, was destroyed on the taxiway, and a second was damaged.
• The agency said the attack also struck the control tower, which “may complicate the organization and control of flights at the airfield,” and valued the combined cost of the aircraft at approximately $70 million.
• This operation follows a Dec. 18 SBU drone strike on Belbek, in which Ukraine said it damaged high-value Russian equipment — including Nebo-SVU radars, a Pantsir-S2 air defence system, and a MiG-31 fighter aircraft — at a total value Ukraine estimates in the hundreds of millions.
• In a separate deep-strike campaign outside the Black Sea, Ukraine said its drones hit a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, marking its first such attack far from its borders.
What the evidence does not establish: Ukrainian claims of equipment value, extent of damage to infrastructure, or operational impact on Russian air defence have not been independently verified by satellite imagery or third-party assessors at publication. Russian authorities have not released official damage assessments for these incidents.
What People Are Saying
• SBU Telegram statement, reported by United24 Media:
“One of the jets, fully equipped with munitions and ready for combat, was destroyed,” noting strikes on the airfield’s infrastructure.
• Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, as described by The Telegraph
Criticised unspecified “warmongers … working overtime to undermine the US peace plan for Ukraine.”
• Telegraph reporting on diplomatic engagements noted that Ukrainian and U.S. envoys met in Miami after talks in Berlin, with Ukraine’s delegation led by Rustem Umerov.
What Happens Next
U.S. and Russian officials are scheduled to meet in Florida to continue negotiations on ending the war, with Moscow expected to be represented by Kirill Dmitriev and U.S. delegates including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to The Telegraph’s account of the talks.
Ukraine’s continued drone strikes on Russian air bases and maritime targets signal Kyiv’s intent to keep up military pressure even as diplomacy proceeds.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says long-range drones destroyed a Russian Su-27 fighter jet at the Belbek military airfield in occupied Crimea, marking a renewed escalation in Kyiv’s deep-strike campaign against Russian military infrastructure.
The strike comes as U.S. and Russian officials prepare for new talks on ending the war, while Moscow’s envoy accused unnamed “warmongers” of undermining a U.S. peace initiative. We reached out to the Russian Defence Ministry for comment via its official press office; no response was published at the time of writing.
