Ukrainian forces have reportedly destroyed two Russian Su-30SM fighter jets in a daring sabotage operation conducted miles away from the Ukrainian border. The attack, claimed by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), is the latest in a series of sabotage ops targeting Russian aviation assets.
Two Russian Su-30s were set ablaze on the night of December 21, 2025, on the Lipetsk airfield in Western Russia, which is about 200 miles, or about 340 kilometres away from the Ukrainian border, the GUR claimed on December 22, 2025.
The operation was planned by the intelligence agency for about two weeks and executed by “a representative of the resistance movement in Russia,” as per the GUR’s statement.
“Studying the patrol route and guard change schedule allowed them to infiltrate the aggressor state’s military facility unnoticed, hit the Russian jets in their protective aircraft hangar, and then leave the airfield unhindered,” the GUR stated.
The Defence Intelligence Agency initially identified that the two damaged aircraft, the Su-27 and Su-30, had been damaged in the attack. However, it was later clarified that both targeted aircraft were two-seat Su-30s.
The agency subsequently published the video showing the purported sabotage operation. The footage, now widely shared on social media, shows a Su-30SM’s cockpit along with the fire that starts at one of the jet’s main undercarriage legs and spreads to engulf one of the engine intakes.
Additionally, one Su-30SM is shown with underwing air-to-air missiles.
‼️Two Russian aircraft, a Su-30 and a Su-27, were destroyed at a military airbase near Russian Lipetsk – Ukrainian Defense Intelligence.
The aircrafts were set on fire inside a hangar after several weeks of preparation.
They can be worth up to $100 million.
Glory! pic.twitter.com/VOa4ASHA5s
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 22, 2025
Both aircraft have been severely damaged, with an estimated combined value of up to $100 million, according to reports in Ukrainian media.
The EurAsian Times could not independently verify the extent of the damage, and the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has yet to officially acknowledge the attack or its impact at the time of writing this report.
However, we do know that this incident adds to the large number of Russian military aircraft that Ukrainian forces and partisans have been able to destroy on the ground, miles and miles away from the border.
Notably, the saboteur was able to infiltrate and then slip away after the attack, setting the two cutting-edge fighters ablaze. This raises questions about Russia’s ability to protect its most prized assets and the state of vigilance at the military facilities inside the country.
Ukraine’s Sabotage Operations On The Rise
Since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has increasingly employed sabotage tactics to disrupt Russian military operations, logistics, and infrastructure. These operations, often carried out by Ukrainian intelligence agencies like the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) or the Special Service of Ukraine (SBU), have slowly expanded from occupied Ukrainian territories into the strategic depths of Russia.
The double Su-30SM attack is the latest in a string of Ukrainian deep-strike and sabotage operations targeting Russian aviation assets.
Before that, Russian Su-27 fighters at the Belbek airfield, Crimea, were destroyed in an operation conducted by the Special Service of Ukraine (SBU) on December 20, 2025.
“One of the planes was on the taxiway with full ammunition and was ready for a combat sortie. It was destroyed,” said the SBU press release after the attack. The agency said that the attack was carried out by its Alpha Special Operations Centre using unspecified models of “long-range drones,” which also damaged a control tower on the airfield.
The SBU is relentless. In another deep strike on occupied Crimea, Alpha’s long-range drones destroyed two Su-27 fighters at Belbek airbase, including one armed and ready for takeoff. The hit also damaged the control tower. This follows a major strike on Dec 18 that wiped out… pic.twitter.com/Q9e8jyhw5E
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) December 20, 2025
This was the second attack on Belbek airfield in less than a week. Before the Su-27 attack, the HUR’s drones struck hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Russian equipment at the Belbek airfield on December 18, 2025, including at least two Nebo-SVU radars, a 92N6 radar from the S-400 Triumph air defence system, a Pantsir-S2 air defence system, and a MiG-31 aircraft loaded with full ammunition.
Earlier this month, an attack on the Saky airfield in Crimea led to the destruction of a Russian Su-24. Meanwhile, a Russian MiG-29 was hit at Kacha airfield in Crimea around the same time. The operation appeared to have been a sabotage operation rather than a drone strike, a sign of intelligence-led preparation and execution.
The 🇺🇦Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) has released footage of UAV attack on a Russian Naval Aviation Su-24M at Saky Air Base, Crimea. If the drone exploded, the aircraft was likely destroyed or at least damaged. Sat imagery is needed for confirmation. pic.twitter.com/3OTxSMs0do
— The Military Watch (@MarcinRogowsk14) December 5, 2025
Besides aviation and airfield-related assets, the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) has also been a target of Ukrainian sabotage.
On December 15, 2025, the SBU carried out what has been described as the world’s first-ever underwater drone attack on a Project 636 Varshavyanka class, or Improved Kilo class diesel-electric submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
The attack was reportedly carried out using the “Sub Sea Baby” drone. Footage of the attack was published as evidence, as reported by the EurAsian Times at the time. The submarine was later seen stationary but still afloat via satellite imagery, and it’s currently unclear if it’s operational.
СБУ вразила підводний човен рф у Новоросійську
Деталі за посиланням ➡️ https://t.co/2PjfguPVnM pic.twitter.com/pU2LIr7DP0
— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) December 15, 2025
One of the most notable sabotage incidents against Russia occurred quite early on in the conflict. In 2022, a team, possibly composed of local partisans, Ukrainian special operations forces, or a combination of both, had attacked the Saky Air Base, which left at least ten jets severely damaged or destroyed.
Similarly, in March 2023, a saboteur launched a drone from outside the perimeter of the Machulishchi airbase in Belarus, damaging a Russian A-50U AWACS aircraft—one of the worst losses for the Russian Aerospace Forces.
In September 2023, one of Russia’s most significant airbases, Chkalovsky, which is less than 20 miles from Moscow, was reportedly attacked by saboteurs. At the time, the GUR said that three aircraft were “badly damaged” in the attack on what it called a “heavily guarded airfield” that was carried out by “unidentified saboteurs.”
In January 2024, the HUR disclosed that a Ukrainian reconnaissance unit played a critical role in the destruction/incapacitation of three Russian Tu-22M3 bombers in August 2023.
During the mission, the team covered over 600 kilometres on foot, traversing enemy territory to thwart the Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Advancing into the Russian rear, the unit successfully completed its mission, destroying one bomber and disabling two others, disrupting airfield and air base operations.
This year has been particularly bad for the Russian military aviation. Earlier this year, Ukraine launched its most audacious sabotage attack against multiple Russian military bases. Ukrainian sources report that the SBU (Ukraine’s security service) attacked four Russian military airbases simultaneously: Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo. The operation, called ‘Operation Spiderweb’, was planned for more than 1.5 years.
Ukraine's SBU releases new footage from "Operation Spiderweb", showing the attack from the perspective of one of the FPV drones; from taking off from its concealed launch site to its impact on a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber at Belaya airfield. pic.twitter.com/CAdJsQujcz
— Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) June 7, 2025
More than 100 first-person-view (FPV) drones were smuggled across Russian territory in disguised cargo trucks as part of the operation. These drones were fired remotely to attack airbases hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the front lines at a coordinated moment. The attack was executed on June 1, 2025. Ukrainian sources claimed that it had managed to destroy or disable more than 40 aircraft, including long-range bombers and high-value surveillance planes.
These Russian strategic aircraft are not parked in shelters. Instead, they sit exposed on the tarmac in clearly marked bays, making them easy to spot via US/NATO spy satellites, as explained in detail by the EurAsian Times.
Besides aviation and naval assets, Ukrainian saboteurs have also caused damage to key Russian military and civilian infrastructure, most notably the strategic Crimean Bridge—the most important link between the Russian mainland and the Crimean peninsula.
On June 3, 2025, there was an undersea explosion close to one of the Crimean Bridge pillars. This was the third sabotage attempt at disabling the bridge, the first and the boldest being the detonation of explosives smuggled in a truck driving across the bridge in October 2022.
Ukraine has since extended its sabotage footprint beyond occupied territory to Russia itself. It is carrying out increasingly complex acts of sabotage by fusing local recruits and resistance groups with professional military and intelligence.
These operations demonstrate the growing capability for deep sabotage, often involving human intelligence, smuggled drones, or naval assets. And, they have become more sophisticated.
While not decisive on their own, they force Russia to divert resources to rear-area defence and have inflicted significant losses on irreplaceable aircraft and submarines. For instance, the Su-24M destroyed by Ukrainian saboteurs is not in production anymore.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
