During an operation in the Black Sea, Ukrainian special forces from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense successfully destroyed a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet using a portable anti-aircraft missile system. The announcement came from the press service of General Kyrylo Budanov's department.

The downed aircraft belonged to the 43rd Separate Maritime Aviation Regiment of the Russian Air Force, stationed at Saky airport in the temporarily occupied Crimea. According to the report, the Russian occupiers lost contact with the fighter at approximately 5 a.m. on September 11, 2024. A few hours later, the Russians initiated a search and rescue mission involving an An-26 aircraft, along with Mi-8 and Ka-27 helicopters.

Ukrainian special forces successfully shot down a Russian Naval Aviation Su-30SM multirole fighter while raiding a Black Sea oil platform Tuesday.

It appears one Ukrainian MANPADS team scored a hit on the Russian fighter (with a spot from a circling Ukrainian drone). pic.twitter.com/eB6PoGolEl

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 12, 2024

By noon, the Russian forces reported discovering a fuel slick characteristic of aviation fuel 70 km northwest of Cape Tarkhankut in the Black Sea. Shortly thereafter, they confirmed the sighting of wreckage from the destroyed Su-30SM. Ukrainian intelligence noted that the approximate cost of the aircraft is 50 million dollars.

The disappearance of the Russian fighter was first reported by the Telegram channel Crimean Wind. According to reports, the plane had taken off from Saky airport to launch Kh-31P missiles. The Su-30SM, along with a Su-35, fired four of its six missiles while flying over the sea north of Sevastopol before disappearing from radar.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff updated Russian losses for the day, reporting that 1,270 Russian soldiers had been killed on September 11. In addition, Ukrainian forces destroyed 11 tanks, 17 armored vehicles, and one aircraft.