Remember the shocking sabotage mission that cost Russia tens of millions?

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

Ukrainian saboteurs have been secretly operating behind enemy lines and causing trouble for Russia since Moscow ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and they've hit a lot of high-value targets.

Reports of secret sabotage missions

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

Reports over the years have revealed missions that knocked out expensive long-range bombers, advanced air defense systems, and all kinds of other powerful weapons. However, a recent incident may have been one of the most daring attempts by Ukrainian saboteurs operating in Russia.

Photo Credit: Telegram @zsuwar

Putin lost an advanced fighter jet

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

On April 24th, the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence announced that a sabotage operation behind enemy lines led to the successful destruction of an expensive Russian Su-30SM multi-role fighter aircraft. 

An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

Few details were provided by Ukrainian intelligence but the Main Directorate’s message did note that the Su-30SM was “burned down” at an airfield in Rostov-on-Don and that it had the tail number 35 according to Ukrinform. 

Video footage from the operation

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

A video allegedly taken during the sabotage operation was published alongside the statement. However, the message did not include any information regarding the method of the attack or the agents behind the mission.

Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine

It cost Russia $50 million dollars

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

The Ukrainian state-run news outlet United24 noted the Main Directorate of Intelligence estimated the Russian aircraft to be worth approximately $50 million dollars, making it an expensive loss for Moscow at a critical time. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine

Who was responsible?

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

In its message on Telegram, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence cited the incident as “another act of resistance against Putin’s criminal regime inside Russia” and claimed the “scale of forces ready to resist the Kremlin” was growing. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @DIUkraine

Ukraine’s Message to Russia

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

“The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reminds that there will be just retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people," the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence’s message concluded, RBC-Ukriane reported. 

The incident was quite notable

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

The Ukrainian military news website Defense Express noted in its report on the incident that Rostov-on-Don is a strategic hub for the Russian military, serving as a key logistics and command center, particularly for Russia’s southern military district. 

A damaging political symbol

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

“A successful strike or sabotage effort on such a base is not only tactically damaging but also politically symbolic, illustrating that even in the Russian heartland, resistance is taking root,” Defense Express explained. 

Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

Ukrainian intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov commented on the incident on his Telegram channel, writing: “Minus another expensive Russian fighter—the Su-30SM, according to a translation of his comment by the Kyiv Post. 

A fighter used against Ukraine

An Su-30SM fighter was targeted, Reports of secret sabotage missions, Putin lost an advanced fighter jet, An Su-30SM was burned to a crisp, Video footage from the operation, It cost Russia million dollars, Who was responsible?, Ukraine’s Message to Russia, The incident was quite notable, A damaging political symbol, Ukraine's intelligence chief speaks, A fighter used against Ukraine

Budanov went on to explain that Russia has used the Su-30SM against Ukraine, mostly for “air bomb strikes”. However, the Su-30SM was developed for a range of operational missions, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. 

Post Related