Ukraine unveils year of drone strikes obliterating 15 Russian jets in Crimea
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) released compelling video evidence on January 28, 2026, detailing a sustained 2025 drone offensive that destroyed 15 Russian military aircraft at five airbases in occupied Crimea. The elite Alpha special operations unit spearheaded these deep-strike missions, racking up an estimated 1 billion dollars in damage to Moscow's aviation assets and infrastructure. Footage shows drones methodically hitting parked planes, fuel depots, and ammo stores, exposing glaring gaps in Russian rear-area defenses.
The tally includes 11 fixed-wing fighters and bombers: Su-30SM multirole jets, Su-34 bomber-fighters, Su-27 interceptors, Su-24 strike aircraft, and MiG-31 high-altitude interceptors. Three rotary-wing losses comprised Mi-28 attack helicopters, a Mi-26 heavy transport, and a Mi-8 utility chopper, with one An-26 cargo plane rounding out the haul. These strikes crippled a broad spectrum of Russia's tactical air fleet, from air superiority platforms to support roles.
A standout tactic was the "double-tap" approach, where drones struck the same target twice to guarantee total destruction, as seen in multiple clips. This repeated access highlights how Ukrainian operations have eroded Russian air defenses across the peninsula, allowing follow-up hits on damaged assets. The SBU noted that enemies once felt safe in their deep rear, but Alpha's reach has rendered distance irrelevant.
Recent escalations at Belbek airfield near Sevastopol exemplify the pattern; Alpha drones twice hammered the site in December 2025 alone. Hits there neutralized two Su-27s (one fully armed on the taxiway), a MiG-31, S-400 radars, Pantsir-S2 systems, and Nebo-SVU detectors, totaling hundreds of millions in losses. Overall, SBU actions sidelined Russian air defenses worth around 4 billion dollars in 2025.
These successes ripple beyond the battlefield, spotlighting drone vulnerabilities in Western bases. A recent Pentagon Inspector General report flagged inconsistent anti-drone rules leaving U.S. sites exposed, including Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, training ground for most global F-35 pilots. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded in December with new directives empowering base commanders to down rogue drones near protected zones. Experts like Molly Campbell from the Center for a New American Security warn that cheap Ukrainian-style drones could wreak "massive" strategic havoc on U.S. installations.
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