Ukraine strikes Russian Su-24 bomber at Saky airfield in occupied Crimea
Ukraine's Defence Forces struck a Russian Su-24 bomber at the Saky airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea during the night of 16 September, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the same operational period, Ukrainian forces reported strikes on Russian drone storage and launch sites, drone control points, ammunition and fuel depots, and reconnaissance posts across occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. The extent of damage to the Su-24 is being clarified.
Key points
- A Russian Su-24 bomber was struck at the Saky airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea on 15 September and during the night of 16 September; damage assessment is ongoing.
- A facility used by Russian forces for storing, preparing and launching strike UAVs was struck in the Donetsk area.
- UAV control points of the occupiers were hit in Staromlynivka and Pokrovsk (Donetsk Oblast) and in Pokrovske (Zaporizhzhia Oblast).
- A Russian ammunition depot was struck in Dovzhansk, Luhansk Oblast.
- Fuel and lubricant storage bases were struck in Rovenky (Luhansk Oblast) and Berdiansk (Zaporizhzhia Oblast).
- Posts of the Russian 'Grenadier' technical reconnaissance assets were struck in Suvorove and Rysove in temporarily occupied Crimea.
- Information was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via Facebook.
Why it matters
The Su-24 is a frontline Russian strike bomber used against Ukraine, and hitting one at Saky underscores Ukraine's ability to strike deep into occupied Crimea. The same operational period produced strikes on drone launch and storage sites, drone control points, ammunition and fuel depots, and reconnaissance posts across three oblasts — a broad overnight operation rather than a single isolated strike. Combined with an earlier Su-24 hit on the peninsula and SBU drone attacks at Saky in July that damaged seven Russian aircraft, the latest strike fits an ongoing campaign to attrit Russian tactical aviation in Crimea.
What happened
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine's Defence Forces struck a Russian Su-24 bomber at the Saky airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea on 15 September and during the night of 16 September. The extent of damage to the aircraft was being clarified at the time of reporting.
In the same operational period, Ukrainian forces reported a series of additional strikes on Russian military targets. In the Donetsk area, a facility used for the storage, preparation and launch of strike UAVs was hit. UAV control points were struck in Staromlynivka and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, and in Pokrovske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. An ammunition depot was struck in Dovzhansk in Luhansk Oblast, and fuel and lubricant storage bases were hit in Rovenky (Luhansk Oblast) and Berdiansk (Zaporizhzhia Oblast). Posts of the Russian 'Grenadier' technical reconnaissance assets were struck in Suvorove and Rysove in temporarily occupied Crimea.
The information was published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via Facebook.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All supplied sources are Ukrainian and cite the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as the source of the strike claims. Coverage centres Ukrainian actors — 'Defence Forces' and the General Staff — and frames the strikes as confirmed operational successes against specific Russian assets, from a Su-24 bomber at Saky to drone launch sites, control points, ammunition and fuel depots, and reconnaissance posts. Several outlets pair the Saky strike with the broader list of targets across Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, presenting the overnight operation as a multi-axis effort rather than a single action.
Background
Saky has been a recurring target: in July, drones of the Security Service of Ukraine attacked the airfield twice, and the repeat attack damaged seven Russian tactical aviation aircraft, including Su-30SM and Su-30 fighters and Su-24 bombers. Defense Express analysts have examined why newly built concrete shelters did not protect Russian aircraft at the airfield. Over a week before the 16 September strike, another Su-24 had already been hit on the Crimean peninsula. The latest strike information was published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via Facebook.