Kathrine Frich
Airborne warfare has taken on a central role in the conflict as both sides turn drones, surveillance systems and precision strikes into daily tools of battle.
The past four years have pushed air-defense networks to their limits, and the war has increasingly become a contest of sensors, drones and rapid-response units able to strike far from the front line.
Now Russia’s air-defense has been hit by another setback as Ukraine reported a new blow to Russia’s air power in occupied Crimea.
Strike on Crimean airfields
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) said its elite “Ghosts” detachment carried out a coordinated operation on December 4, targeting two Russian military sites.
In a statement on Telegram, the agency said the raid destroyed a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet stationed at the Kacha airbase.
“HUR special units continue to systematically weaken Russia’s layered air defense network, dismantling radars, missile systems, and now fighter jets,” the agency stated.
The MiG-29, a twin-engine air-superiority fighter introduced in the 1980s, is designed for short-range engagements and can carry a mix of air-to-air missiles, 30mm cannon rounds and limited air-to-surface munitions.
Standard models have a top speed of around Mach 2.2 and a combat radius of roughly 700 km, depending on configuration.
Based on cost data from the early 2000s, the aircraft is valued at about $25 million.
Radar systems hit
HUR reported that the same operation also struck a radar installation at the Irtysh airfield near Simferopol.
The ground-based system monitors and tracks aircraft and is described as a critical link in Russia’s air-defense network across occupied Crimea.
Ukraine’s intelligence service framed the attack as part of a broader objective to erode Russia’s ability to detect and intercept incoming strikes.
As deep-range operations intensify on both sides, radar sites, missile batteries and command posts have become primary targets.
Russian authorities have not confirmed the incident, and independent verification of damage remains limited due to restricted access to the region.
Sources: Digi24, HUR statement
