23 February 2026

For the first time during the war, a Swedish aircraft conducted reconnaissance over Crimea

(Aircraft S102B Korpen/ PHOTO: jetphotos.com)

A Swedish reconnaissance aircraft flew over the Black Sea for the first time since the beginning of the war, approaching occupied Crimea. The flight was aimed at collecting electronic information about Russian troops and air defense systems in the region.

This was reported by the Crimean Wind monitoring group.

For the first time since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine, the Swedish reconnaissance aircraft S102B Korpen flew over the Black Sea. According to the Flightradar portal, the aircraft with the call sign SVF680 took off from Malmö airbase in Sweden and began reconnaissance of the situation in Crimea.

Usually, S102B Korpen conducts surveillance over Scandinavian and Baltic countries, as well as the Baltic Sea. The flight over the Black Sea was the first of its kind since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which indicates the expansion of Sweden's surveillance capabilities and increased attention to the Black Sea region.

SCREEN SHOT: Crimean wind

The S102B Korpen aircraft of the Swedish Air Force is based on the Gulfstream IVSP business jet. It is equipped with specialized electronic intelligence sensors controlled by ELINT specialists from the FRA (Swedish Ministry of Defense Radio Engineering Directorate). These systems allow intercepting, collecting and analyzing enemy electronic signals, making Korpen an important tool for assessing military activity in the region.

Experts note that such a flight can provide valuable information about the movement and equipment of Russian troops in Crimea and on the Black Sea coast, as well as the operation of the occupiers' air defense systems.

In February, the Ukrainian military struck several control points, warehouses and areas of concentration of Russian troops in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk regions and Crimea. In the Kherson region, near Lyubymivka and Tendra Spit, the Defense Forces hit a command and observation post and positions of Russian troops. Two logistics depots were also hit, one in Lobanove in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Анна Літман

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