12 September 2024
(Multifunctional Russian Su-30SM fighter jet Photo: Vitaly Yurtaev)
In the Black Sea, Ukrainian reconnaissance men destroyed an enemy Su-30SM fighter jet. It was shot down with the help of a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS).
This was reported by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
According to the military, the downed aircraft belonged to the 43rd Separate Naval Aviation Regiment of the Russian VKS, which is based at the airfield in the city of Saki, in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
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Contact with the fighter jet was lost on September 11, 2024, at around 5:00 am. Approximately three hours later, Russian forces launched a search and rescue operation, involving an An-26 aircraft, as well as Mi-8 and Ka-27 helicopters.
In the middle of the day, the Russian military discovered traces of aviation fuel 70 kilometers northwest of Cape Tarkhankut, and later the wreckage of the downed Su-30SM. The cost of this fighter jet is estimated at about $50 million.
The Su-30SM is a Generation 4++ multi-role fighter developed on the basis of the Su-27 (SM stands for "serially modernized"). It is designed to perform a variety of missions, such as air combat, interception, and strikes on land and sea targets. The aircraft has two pilots, a maximum speed of up to 2125 km/h and a range of up to 3000 km without refueling. The Su-30SM is equipped with a radar system with a phased array antenna, which allows it to detect and track targets over long distances. Thanks to the engines with a controlled thrust vector, the aircraft demonstrates high maneuverability. It is armed with various types of missiles and bombs, including precision-guided munitions. The Su-30SM is actively used by Russians during their aggression against Ukraine.
<span>On the night of September 11, Russian occupation forces once again attacked Zmiinyi Island in Odesa region from tactical aircraft.</span> The Russians fired six X-31P anti-radar missiles in the direction of the island. The missile strikes were launched from the airspace over the Black Sea.
The day before, on the night of September 10, Russian troops also attacked Zmiinyi using an X-31 guided missile.
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