CNN
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Ukraine claims it was the first time using the Seabone drone to fire down a Russian SU-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea.
“This is the first time in the world that a fighter has been destroyed by a marine drone,” Ukraine’s defense information said in a statement on Saturday, adding that “it was burned into the air and eventually fell into the sea.”
The Ukrainian military intelligence agency said one of its units destroyed fighter jets on Friday, and was a key Russian city in Ukrainian Magra drone near Novorossk port, claiming that Ukraine is a remnant of the Russian Black Sea fleet.
CNN could not independently verify Ukrainian claims.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the incident, but the claims were supported by Russian military bloggers.
“The Ukrainians brought over 30 sea drones to the Noborossk region… After the jet was attacked, the crew were enveloped in water surrounded by enemy sea drones,” Fighter Bomber said on Saturday.
Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that in December it used a Seaborn Magra V5 missile drone created by Ukrainian military forces and engineers to destroy two Russian helicopters “the world’s first time”;
Kyiv is increasingly turning its eyes to drones to level the arena with Russia, which boasts outstanding talent and resources. Since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, and following further losses after Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine no longer has a navy functioning in the Black Sea.
The drones have proven effective against some of the toughest ships in Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet. They are controlled from afar via Starlink connections and can be pre-programmed for long journeys across the Black Sea.
Last February, Ukraine said it had sunk Ivanovets, a Russian guided missile ship in the Black Sea. Its most notable strike was against Mosqueba in April 2022.
After the attack on Ibanobet, CNN interviewed Ukrainian secret sea drone unit behind a strike at a location near the Ukrainian coastal city of Odesa. One of the drone pilots behind the attack told CNN that 10 Magra drones were used in the attack, six of which were hit and ultimately sank the Russian warship.
One Ukrainian drone pilot told CNN that drones are extremely difficult to see in the open seas and that Russians are difficult to target.
