Kathrine Frich
This is not the first success involving Magura drones.
Ukraine has become the first country to successfully destroy a fighter jet using a missile launched from an unmanned naval drone, according to the country’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR).
The operation, announced on Saturday, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of maritime warfare.
Worth £39.8 million
The target was a Russian Su-30 fighter jet, reportedly worth around £39.8 million, which was struck on May 2, 2025, near the Russian port city of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region.
The attack was carried out using a Magura-type naval drone in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the country’s Defense Forces.
In a statement on its official Telegram channel, the GUR declared:
“On May 2, 2025, a special unit of the GUR of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the SBU and the Ukrainian Defense Forces, 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.”
Following the missile strike, the aircraft caught fire and subsequently crashed into the sea.
Confirmed attack
Novorossiysk has become a focal point for Russian naval operations in the region after much of the Black Sea Fleet was relocated there from occupied Crimea.
The regional governor, Andrei Kravchenko, confirmed on Telegram that the port city had been the target of a large-scale attack. As a result, three grain silos were damaged and at least five people were injured, including two children.
The GUR also noted that this is not the first success involving Magura drones. In December 2024, the same technology was used to bring down two Russian Mi-8 helicopters.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense had earlier reported intercepting various airborne threats over the Black Sea, including eight British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles, three Ukrainian Neptune-MD missiles, and the destruction of 14 naval drones at sea.
🇺🇦 #Ukraine: Rare footage shows Ukrainian GUR special forces shooting down a Russian Su-30 fighter-bomber over the Black Sea on May 2nd. The strike was carried out using a 'Magura' sea drone, marking the first time in history that a naval drone has brought down a combat aircraft… pic.twitter.com/1PzluwDsl0
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) May 3, 2025