Ukraine uses sea drones to down Russian fighter jets in apparent historic first
Ukraine claims to have shot down two Russian fighter jets using missiles launched from uncrewed surface vessels, marking what could be a first in military history.
Footage released by Group 13, a unit linked to Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the GUR, shows an Su-30 Flanker jet being hit by a missile over the Black Sea.
It was reportedly hit by Sidewinder missile fired from a Magura V7 drone boat.
If confirmed, it would be the first known instance of a maritime drone successfully engaging a combat aircraft with an adapted air-to-air missile.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two Su-30 jets had been brought down, the first near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, the second over occupied Crimea.
The two crew members of one Su-30 reportedly ejected and were rescued by a civilian ship, while the second pair are believed to have died in the attack.
According to Lt Gen Kyrylo Budanov, head of GUR, three Magura V7 boats were used in the operation, with two of them firing missiles.
The weapon system
The missiles used were AIM-9 Sidewinders, a short-range, infrared-guided air-to-air missile made in the United States.
The US has given Ukraine an unknown number of Sidewinder missiles.
Traditionally launched from aircraft, they have been modified to operate from sea platforms, with a range of around six miles when fired from a surface drone.
Ukraine is believed to have both the AIM-9M and AIM-9X variants in service.
The drone platform
The Magura V7 is thought to be a new air defence variant of the smaller Magura V5, a Ukrainian-made uncrewed surface vessel developed for strike missions in the Black Sea.
Group 13, the specialised unmanned systems vehicle unit, has previously used the V5 to conduct explosive-laden attacks on Russian naval targets, often deploying swarms of drones to overwhelm Russian defences.
The V5 has a reported range of up to 800km (around 500 miles) and is equipped with a sophisticated guidance system.
This attack is yet another example of how innovative Ukraine has become.
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