HUR Confirms Drone Strikes on Russian An-26 and Air Defense Radars in Occupied Crimea, Video

Ukrainian strike drones successfully penetrated Russian air defenses in temporarily occupied Crimea and hit a Russian An-26 military transport aircraft along with two radar stations, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported on December 12.

According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (HUR), the operation was carried out by its special unit “Prymary.”

The drone strike hit the An-26 at the moment its engines were already being started. The impact struck the aircraft’s left wing and engine, HUR said.

“An illegal takeoff by the crew of the Russian occupiers was strictly prohibited by the masters of the HUR special unit,” Ukrainian intelligence stated.

In addition to the aircraft, Ukrainian drones also struck a Russian 55Zh6M radar system and a concealed 64N6E radar located under a protective dome. The 64N6E serves as a key sensor—described by Ukrainian intelligence as the “eyes”—for Russia’s S-300 and S-400 air defense systems.

Russian channels reported the loss of an aircraft in Crimea as early as December 11. Separate reports at the time also mentioned fatalities and injuries at the site of the incident, likely among the aircraft’s crew or personnel from the airfield command unit.

The An-26 is a Soviet-era military transport aircraft that first flew in 1969 and entered service in 1975. It typically carries a crew of five to six and can transport up to 5.5 tons of cargo. The aircraft has a top speed of roughly 540 kilometers per hour and a maximum range of about 2,500 kilometers.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Security Service released footage showing the destruction of a Russian Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter—a loss made more significant by the fact that Moscow is no longer able to manufacture new models of the aircraft due to engine supply shortages.

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