Kathrine Frich
The blunder has become one of the most embarrassing intelligence lapses for Moscow in recent months.
Russia’s latest attempt to showcase its military might has backfired spectacularly after Ukrainian forces destroyed two of its aircraft, following a propaganda video that accidentally revealed their location.
Propaganda gone wrong
According to Lrytas, Ukraine’s Security Service successfully eliminated two Russian Yak-52 planes used to intercept long-range Ukrainian drones.
The strike was carried out shortly after Russian state media released a video intended to demonstrate the country’s air power.
What began as a boastful publicity stunt quickly turned into a costly mistake.
The footage showed one of the Yak-52 aircraft in detail, enough for analysts to determine the precise coordinates of its base, along with runway markings, infrastructure layouts, and even serial numbers on the planes.
Armed with that intelligence, Ukraine’s Special Operations Center conducted a targeted strike that destroyed both aircraft at a private airfield near Pryazovske, roughly 20 kilometres southeast of the occupied city of Melitopol.
The Yak-52: small but symbolic
The Yak-52 is a Soviet-era two-seat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau in the 1970s.
It is powered by a 360-horsepower Vedeneyev M-14P radial engine, giving it a top speed of about 285 km/h (177 mph) and a range of around 550 km. With a maximum take-off weight of 1,305 kg, it can perform aerobatic manoeuvres of up to +7 and −5 G.
Originally built for pilot instruction and aerobatics, the Yak-52 is simple, durable and capable of operating from unpaved runways.
Though not a combat aircraft, Russian forces have occasionally adapted these planes for reconnaissance or counter-drone tasks due to their manoeuvrability and low operating costs.
Civilian models of the Yak-52 sell for between US $120,000 and US $200,000 depending on condition, but retrofitted military versions equipped with sensors or weapons can cost significantly more.
An embarrassing error
The destroyed aircraft were part of a small fleet Russia had reportedly been using to track Ukrainian drones across the occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
But analysts say Moscow’s eagerness to broadcast its “strength” once again exposed its vulnerabilities.
“The video gave away everything,” said one Ukrainian defence analyst. “It revealed the coordinates, the runway alignment, and even the tail numbers. All Ukraine had to do was confirm and strike.”
The loss may seem minor in military terms, but the symbolic damage is immense as the incident shows how Russia’s state-run propaganda, designed to project power and control, continues to undermine its own operational security.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
