Ukrainian sea drone shoots down Russian fighter jet in world first
Ukraine destroyed a Russian fighter jet using a seaborne drone, Kyiv's military intelligence agency said.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence [GUR] said the Russian Su-30 fighter jet was destroyed by Ukraine's Group 13 on Friday, over waters near Novorossiysk, the Russian port city on the Black Sea. It is the world's first downing of a combat plane by a drone boat.
The Ukrainian waterborne drone reportedly fired an R-73 surface-to-air missile, which struck the $50 million fighter jet and caused it to catch fire and crash.
Ukraine said it used a Magura V7 sea drone, a 5.5m-long drone with a range of up to 1,800km.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of GUR, later claimed that two Russian Su-30s had been shot down by the innovative sea drones. 'It's a historical moment,' he told War Zone website, although no footage has emerged yet of the second strike.
It is the latest case of the Ukrainians, who are less well-resourced and armed than Moscow, managing to turn the tables on their Russian invaders in the three-year conflict.
'On May 2, 2025, the special unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in cooperation with the SBU and the Defense Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a Russian Su-30 in the Black Sea – this is the first destruction of a combat aircraft by a naval drone in the world,' GUR said in a statement.
'The historic strike was carried out by soldiers of the special forces unit of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Group 13 with a Magura unmanned maritime platform missile,' the statement continued.
'The fighter plane of the aggressor state of Russia, which has an estimated cost of about $50 million, burst into flames in the air and eventually fell into the sea – to the bottom, and into the possession of ruthless Neptune,' it added.
Video footage online appeared to show the moment that the Magura's crosshairs honed in on its target from the sea surface and fired its payload.
Russia has not officially responded to the claim, but a prominent Russian military blogger confirmed that the attack had occurred in a post on Telegram.
'Yesterday, towards evening, an Su-30 naval aviation fighter jet was shot down by the Ukrainian side 50 kilometres west of Novorossiysk. This was done from an uncrewed boat with an R-73 SAM [surface-to-air missile],' the blogger, named Rybar, wrote.
'The pilots ejected and were picked up by civilian sailors. Both are alive, and to hell with the plane.'
Mr Budanov, however, claimed that the second crew had been killed.
Ukraine has previously said it used the Magura seaborne drone to take down two Russian military helicopters in December 2024. It also managed to destroy a patrol ship in the Kerch Strait in March 2024, and the Tsezar Kunikov landing ship in February 2024.
Drone warfare has become a crucial element of the conflict as the devices are far cheaper and quicker to produce than traditional expensive weaponry.
For the past three years, explosive-laden combat drones, the smallest and cheapest variation of drones, have been used by Ukrainian forces to pursue and kill Russian invaders on the eastern front.
But there are larger and more advanced types of drones which can be fitted with much more powerful missiles capable of destroying some of Russia's most expensive weaponry.
Seaborne drones are a fairly new innovation in warfare. Kyiv has emerged as a world leader in the technology, having had significant success in the Black Sea, using drone boats to terrorise Russian warships.
Germany has also become increasingly reliant upon them to defend the Baltic Sea from Russian saboteurs.
In January, Germany deployed the Israeli-made 'Blue Whale' drone in the Baltic to survey and pursue suspicious vehicles, such as those seeking to cut undersea cables as part of suspected Russian sabotage operations.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
27 minutes ago
- New York Post
FBI never probed ‘confidential' talks between DNC, Clinton campaign George Soros group, bombshell intel files show
WASHINGTON — Two high-ranking employees of liberal billionaire George Soros' Open Society Foundations held 'confidential conversations' with the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign team in 2016 to push the narrative of collusion between Russia and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, newly declassified intelligence files show. The documents revealed that Leonard Benardo and Jeffrey Goldstein — Open Society's regional director and senior policy adviser for Eurasia, respectively — held talks with then-DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in early 2016 about smearing Trump as well as distracting from the 'growing scandal' surround Clinton's 'possible corruption' as secretary of state. In a January 2016 memo, the Soros operatives discussed with Wasserman-Schultz the negative fallout from Clinton Foundation donors getting preferential access to Hillary and the 'timely deletion of relevant data from mail servers.' 8 The files revealed that Open Society member Leonard Benardo (above) and Jeffrey Goldstein held talks with then-DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in early 2016 about smearing Trump. Open Society Foundation The year before, the former secretary of state had nixed more than 30,000 emails from a private server. The FBI confirmed in a subsequent investigation that the messages included 'very sensitive, highly classified information,' but no charges were brought. According to another memo, this one from March 2016, then-President Barack Obama didn't want the controversy to 'darken the final part of his presidency' and apparently tried to pressure his attorney general, Loretta Lynch, to meddle in then-FBI Director James Comey's investigation of the Clinton emails. 'Barack Obama sanctioned the use of all administrative levers to remove possibly negative effects from the FBI investigation of cases related to the Clinton Foundation and the email correspondence in the State Department,' the memo declared. 8 The DNC saw the scandals' threat to Clinton's campaign as 'minimal' and worked on developing a two-pronged counter-attack 'focused on discrediting Trump through debates and propaganda activities.' Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post As a result, the DNC saw the scandals' threat to Clinton's campaign as 'minimal' and worked on developing a two-pronged counter-attack 'focused on discrediting Trump through debates and propaganda activities' — with the help of 'special services.' Those included either the direct involvement of intelligence agencies or the use of a now-discredited dossier compiled by ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele, alleging Russian leader Vladimir Putin had blackmail material on Trump. At the time, the files also disclosed, Lynch was communicating with Clinton campaign political director Amanda Renteria and the Democratic candidate was in the process of discussing a plan with adviser Julianne Smith that Benardo described as 'a long-term affair to demonize Putin and Trump.' 8 Jeff Goldstein appears to have died last year but had been based in Washington, DC, as the senior policy adviser for Eurasia at the organization. Getty Images 'HRC [Hillary Rodham Clinton] approved Julia's idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections,' a bombshell July 27, 2016, email from Benardo laid bare the plot. 'That should distract people from her own missing emails. … The point is making the Russian play a U.S. domestic issue.' Benardo currently serves as senior vice president at Open Society Foundations, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Goldstein's current status is unclear 8 In a January 2016 memo, the Soros operatives discussed with Wasserman-Schultz the negative fallout from the 'timely deletion of relevant data from mail servers.' Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock The memos and other intelligence files were handed over to the Obama FBI, and bureau deputy director Andrew McCabe shared them with senior officials at the Department of Justice — but the information implicating Clinton in the Russiagate scandal was never fully investigated. Comey later told the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General he didn't view the intelligence — which had been obtained by Russian hackers — as 'credible.' Former FBI General Counsel James Baker disagreed and told the DOJ OIG 'how personally bothered he was' by Lynch's interactions with Clinton's campaign, adding that 'he and other FBI executives had great concerns' about evidence in the memos implying Lynch would 'use her position to make sure that Hillary Clinton was not prosecuted.' 8 Special counsel John Durham unearthed the stunning disclosures as part of a multi-year investigation into intelligence efforts surrounding the 2016 election. Getty Images Special counsel John Durham unearthed the stunning disclosures as part of a multi-year investigation into intelligence efforts surrounding the 2016 election and maintained in his assessment that the 'Benardo emails were likely authentic.' When Durham interviewed Benardo, the Open Society employee said 'to the best of his recollection, he did not draft the emails.' 'The [Clinton] campaign might have wanted or expected the FBI or other agencies to aid that effort ('put more oil into the fire') by commencing a formal investigation of the DNC hack [by Russia],' Durham's annex noted. 8 Former FBI Director James Comey later told the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General he didn't view the intelligence — which had been obtained by Russian hackers — as 'credible.' REUTERS 'The Office's best assessment is that the … emails that purport to be from Benardo were ultimately a composite of several emails that were obtained through Russian intelligence hacking of the U.S.-based Think Tanks, including the Open Society Foundations, the Carnegie Endowment, and others.' The CIA determined that the intelligence was also not 'the product of Russian fabrications' as early as 2017. The FBI received an investigative referral from the CIA related to the Clinton files after an Aug. 3, 2016, meeting at the White House at which Obama, Comey, then-CIA Director John Brennan, Vice President Joe Biden, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper were all present. 8 The memos and other intelligence files were handed over to the Obama FBI, and bureau deputy director Andrew McCabe shared them with senior officials at the Department of Justice. Getty Images The information implicating Trump was still 'disseminated through leading U.S. publications,' the intelligence files recounted, as part of 'the first stage of the campaign' by Clinton associates 'due to lack of direct evidence' of Trump's purported collusion with Russia. Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director Kash Patel approved the release of the files Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). 'Based on the Durham annex, the Obama FBI failed to adequately review and investigate intelligence reports showing the Clinton campaign may have been ginning up the fake Trump-Russia narrative for Clinton's political gain, which was ultimately done through the Steele Dossier and other means,' Grassley said in a statement. 8 Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director Kash Patel approved the release of the files Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post 'These intelligence reports and related records, whether true or false, were buried for years. History will show that the Obama and Biden administration's law enforcement and intelligence agencies were weaponized against President Trump,' he also said. 'This political weaponization has caused critical damage to our institutions and is one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history. The new Trump administration has a tremendous responsibility to the American people to fix the damage done and do so with maximum speed and transparency,. Reps for Clinton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Zelensky urges allies to push for 'regime change' in Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged his allies to bring about "regime change" in Russia, hours after a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 15 people including a six-year-old boy. The overnight strikes reduced part of a nine-storey apartment block in Kyiv's western suburbs to rubble and wounded more than a hundred in the capital, authorities said. The Russian army meanwhile claimed to have captured Chasiv Yar, a strategically important hillside town in eastern Ukraine where the two sides have been fiercely fighting for months. Moscow has stepped up its deadly aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, resisting US pressure to end its nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion as its forces grind forward on the battlefield. Speaking virtually to a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the Cold War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelensky said he believed Russia could be "pushed" to stop the war. "But if the world doesn't aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries," he added. From late Wednesday to early Thursday, Russia fired over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles at Ukraine, the main target of which was Kyiv, the Ukrainian air force said. One missile tore through a nine-storey residential building in western Kyiv, tearing off its facade, authorities said. AFP journalists at the scene saw rescuers scouring through a smouldering mound of broken concrete, the belongings of residents scattered among the debris. "It's a shock. I still can't get my bearings. It's very frightening," Valentyna Chestopal, a 28-year-old resident of Kyiv, told AFP. Among the victims was a six-year-old boy who died on the way to hospital in an ambulance, the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, posted on Telegram. Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said Friday had been declared a day of mourning in the capital for the victims. The Russian army said it had hit a military airfield, ammunition warehouse and drone production facilities with a combined overnight strike using weaponry and drones. The attack came just days after US President Donald Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions. - Key capture in east - Russia said Thursday that it had captured the town of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important military hub for Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donetsk region. The town "was liberated by Russian forces", Russia's defence ministry said in a statement, though a Ukrainian army spokesperson rejected Russia's claim as "lies". Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko said Russian forces "have full control over the entire northern and eastern part," of Chasiv Yar, including districts that were hardest to get. But he added that the fighting for the western side was ongoing, with the situation "very difficult". Taking control of Chasiv Yar would be a major military gain for Russia, which has been making incremental but steady territorial gains for months. Home to around 12,000 people before the war but now largely destroyed, the town could allow Russian forces to advance on remaining civilian strongholds in the eastern Donetsk region. These include the garrison city of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, important logistical bases for the Ukrainian military and home to many civilians who have not fled the fighting. The Kremlin has made the capture of the Donetsk region a priority since it claimed the industrial region as part of Russia in September 2022. Russia, which denies targeting civilians, had not yet commented on the strike or Zelensky's call for regime change. - Anti-corruption bill overturned - Thursday's attacks came just hours before Ukrainian lawmakers overturned a highly criticised law that curbed the powers of two anti-graft bodies. Zelensky, who signed the new bill into law shortly after the vote, reversed course after the legislation sparked the biggest public unrest in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. The original law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move would allow Zelensky to meddle in high-profile corruption cases, while the European Union said bill could derail anti-corruption reforms that are key for joining the bloc. bur-mmp/js Solve the daily Crossword
an hour ago
Putin signs a bill punishing online searches for information deemed 'extremist'
MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a bill that punishes online searches for information officially branded 'extremist,' the latest in a series of moves by authorities to tighten control of the internet. The legislation, which has been approved by both houses of parliament earlier this month, makes what it describes as 'deliberately searching for and accessing extremist materials' online punishable by a fine of up to the equivalent of $60. In Russia, the official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like the Anti-Corruption Foundation, created by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and the 'international LGBTQ+ movement.' It's not clear how authorities will track down violators. Officials and lawmakers said ordinary internet users won't be affected and that only those who methodically seek outlawed content will be targeted. They did not explain how authorities would differentiate between them. Russians widely use VPN services for access to banned content, but authorities have sought to tighten restrictions and close the loopholes. The state communications watchdog has increasingly used technology to analyze traffic and block specific VPN protocols. Russian authorities have ramped up their multipronged crackdown on dissent after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
