Ukrainian sea drones down 2 Russian Su-30 jets near Novorossiysk, military intelligence chief says

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) shot down two Russian Su-30 fighter jets using air-to-air missiles fired from Magura-7 sea drones near Novorossiysk on May 2, HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov told the War Zone on May 3.

The operation marks the first time in history that fighter jets have been downed by unmanned boats. Initially, reports confirmed the destruction of only one jet, but Budanov later clarified that two aircraft were hit.

"It's a historical moment," he told the publication.

According to HUR, Group 13, a special operations unit within the agency, executed the strike. A video of the first downed Su-30 was released and widely shared on social media, though no visual evidence of the second strike has emerged.

Budanov said the crew of the first jet survived and was rescued by a civilian vessel, while the second crew is believed to have been killed.

The Sukhoi Su-30 is a $50 million twin-engine, two-seat multirole fighter designed by Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau. HUR claimed that the aircraft were hit midair and crashed into the Black Sea.

The Kyiv Independent can't independently verify all the claims.

The Magura-7 drone, deployed in this operation, is an air defense type of the Magura-5, which previously downed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters on Dec. 31.

Ukraine has repeatedly used maritime drones to inflict heavy losses on Russian assets in the Black Sea. The Magura drones sank the Russian patrol ship Sergey Kotov on March 5, 2024, and the landing ship Caesar Kunikov on Feb. 14, 2024.