On the night of November 24-25, 2025, Ukrainian forces destroyed Russia’s rare A-60 airborne laser aircraft in a deep strike on the Taganrog airfield in Russia’s Rostov region. The attack marked a major blow to Russia’s experimental weapons programs.
The Strike
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces launched the attack using Neptune cruise missiles and jet-powered drones. The strike hit the Beriev Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex and the adjacent Taganrog-Yuzhny airfield, one of Russia’s major aircraft manufacturing centers.
Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, confirmed the destruction of the A-60 laser platform along with an Il-76 heavy transport aircraft. Satellite imagery and Russian regional reports showed a large aircraft engulfed in flames with extensive secondary explosions visible from the city.
What Was the A-60?
The Beriev A-60 was Russia’s sole remaining airborne laser laboratory, a modified Ilyushin Il-76MD transport aircraft originally developed in the 1970s during the Soviet Union’s high-energy laser weapon program.
The aircraft featured a distinctive bulb-shaped nose housing specialized laser testing equipment. Only two A-60 aircraft ever existed, making it an irreplaceable experimental asset for Russia’s directed-energy weapons research.
However, the aircraft may not have been operational. Satellite images showed it parked in the same location since at least 2021, and reports indicate it hadn’t flown since 2016.
Multiple Rare Aircraft Destroyed
The strike didn’t just destroy the A-60. Ukraine also destroyed a Beriev A-100 AWACS aircraft, another extremely rare experimental platform based on the Il-76 airlifter. Both aircraft represented decades of Russian aerospace development and cannot be easily replaced.
The A-100 is Russia’s next-generation airborne early warning and control system, designed to replace aging Soviet-era platforms.
Strategic Significance
This represents one of the deepest and most technically significant strikes of the war. The destruction of these experimental aircraft deals a serious blow to Russia’s advanced aerospace programs.
The Beriev facility in Taganrog is a critical center for Russian military aviation research and development. Losing two irreplaceable experimental platforms in a single strike significantly impacts Russia’s ability to develop and test advanced aircraft systems.
The strike demonstrates Ukraine’s growing capability to conduct long-range precision attacks deep inside Russian territory, targeting high-value military assets beyond the immediate front lines.
