SBU Drones Pound Hangars at Saky Airfield Housing Russian Su-30 Fighters Worth Up to $50M

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said its drones struck hangars containing Russian Su-30 and Su-30SM fighter jets at the Saky military airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea, the SBU reported on July 1.

The agency confirmed five drone hits on hangars where aviation equipment was stored. According to preliminary information, Su-30 and Su-30SM fighters were inside two of the hangars at the time of the strike.

After the attack, a fire was recorded in the hangar where a Su-30SM fighter was reportedly located, indicating a successful hit on the target.

The estimated value of each aircraft ranges from $30 million to $50 million, depending on configuration.

According to the SBU, the strike was carried out as part of a 40-day operation ordered by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to increase pressure on Russia. The target was the airfield’s infrastructure, including hangars used to store fighter aircraft.

The Saky airfield is one of Russia’s key military aviation sites in occupied Crimea. Russian forces have used airfields on the peninsula to support strikes and military operations against Ukraine.

“The SBU is systematically destroying the military potential of the Russian occupiers both on the front line and in the enemy rear. No hangars or shelters will help—the SBU will reach the enemy everywhere,” the agency said.

The latest Russian aviation losses also included a Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bomber that crashed in Russia’s Irkutsk region on June 15.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the crash, stating that the aircraft was on a training mission.

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