Ukraine has claimed a historic military milestone: the downing of a Russian Su-30 fighter jet by a maritime drone. According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), the strike was executed by Group 13, a specialised unit operating under GUR, on Friday 2 May.
The attack took place around 50 kilometres off the coast of Novorossiisk, a strategic Russian port city on the Black Sea. In a statement released on Saturday, GUR said the Su-30 jet was “engulfed in flames mid-air before crashing into the sea”.
A video of the drone strike was also made public. However, its authenticity has not been independently verified.
“This is the first time in history that a naval drone has destroyed a manned combat aircraft,” GUR stated, noting that the operation was coordinated with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and other defence units. The missile was reportedly launched from a Magura V5 maritime drone—an unmanned surface vessel that Ukraine has used increasingly in recent operations.
The Russian Su-30, a twin-engine multi-role fighter, is estimated to be worth around $50 million. The Russian Ministry of Defence has not commented on the claim.
Novorossiisk declares emergency after drone strike
Just hours after the reported strike, the mayor of Novorossiisk declared a state of emergency. According to local authorities, a separate Ukrainian drone attack damaged a grain terminal and multiple residential buildings in the city, injuring five people.
Adding to the confusion, a prominent Russian military blogger who goes by the name "Rybar" posted on Telegram that the Su-30's pilots had ejected and were rescued by civilian vessels. His post has not been confirmed by official Russian sources.
Retaliation strikes across Ukraine
Soon after the Ukrainian announcement, Russian forces carried out a wave of overnight drone attacks on several Ukrainian cities. Kyiv, the capital, was targeted by a barrage of exploding drones. Debris from intercepted drones caused fires in residential areas across the Obolonskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts, setting parked vehicles ablaze and damaging homes.
"Medics were called to the Sviatoshynskyi district," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, adding that emergency crews responded to multiple fire incidents.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 183 explosive drones and decoys in a single night. Of these, 77 were shot down, and 73 were likely disabled through electronic jamming. Two ballistic missiles were also fired, according to the same report.
47 wounded in Kharkiv drone strike
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a drone assault late Friday left 47 people injured. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones hit at least 12 sites, including residential areas and civil infrastructure. Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that homes and vehicles had sustained extensive damage.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded with a renewed call for stronger international support. “While the world hesitates with decisions, nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs strengthened air defense. Strong and real decisions are needed from our partners – the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace,” he wrote on X.
Kyiv rejects Kremlin truce proposal
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-day truce to coincide with Second World War Victory Day commemorations on 9 May. But Ukrainian officials saw it as a political move, not a genuine offer.
“This is more of a theatrical performance on his part, because in two or three days it is impossible to develop a plan for the next steps to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in embargoed remarks made public on Saturday.
The Kremlin said the ceasefire was to test Ukraine’s "readiness" for long-term peace. But Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, warned, “Nobody could guarantee Kyiv would survive to see 10 May if Ukraine attacked Moscow during the 9 May celebrations.”
Zelenskyy rejected the gesture outright. “We will not be playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on 9 May,” he said.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the situation remained tense. Russian shelling in Donetsk killed two people on Saturday. A drone strike on Kherson left another civilian dead, and in the central region of Cherkasy, fires broke out following another drone attack. The regional governor, Ihor Taburets, said injuries were reported, though specific details are still emerging.
As Ukraine pioneers new tools of warfare, such as maritime drones, the conflict continues to evolve. But for civilians caught in the crossfire, the cost remains painfully real.
The attack took place around 50 kilometres off the coast of Novorossiisk, a strategic Russian port city on the Black Sea. In a statement released on Saturday, GUR said the Su-30 jet was “engulfed in flames mid-air before crashing into the sea”.
A video of the drone strike was also made public. However, its authenticity has not been independently verified.
“This is the first time in history that a naval drone has destroyed a manned combat aircraft,” GUR stated, noting that the operation was coordinated with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and other defence units. The missile was reportedly launched from a Magura V5 maritime drone—an unmanned surface vessel that Ukraine has used increasingly in recent operations.
For the first time in warfare history, a fighter jet was shot down by a naval kamikaze drone equipped with missiles
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) May 3, 2025
Yesterday, a Ukrainian 🇺🇦 USV shot down a $50 million Russian Su-30 fighter jet over the Black Sea, +500km from Odesa, using a reconfigured R-73 air-to-air missile pic.twitter.com/OtHYsQdt1e
The Russian Su-30, a twin-engine multi-role fighter, is estimated to be worth around $50 million. The Russian Ministry of Defence has not commented on the claim.
Novorossiisk declares emergency after drone strike
Just hours after the reported strike, the mayor of Novorossiisk declared a state of emergency. According to local authorities, a separate Ukrainian drone attack damaged a grain terminal and multiple residential buildings in the city, injuring five people.
Adding to the confusion, a prominent Russian military blogger who goes by the name "Rybar" posted on Telegram that the Su-30's pilots had ejected and were rescued by civilian vessels. His post has not been confirmed by official Russian sources.
Retaliation strikes across Ukraine
Soon after the Ukrainian announcement, Russian forces carried out a wave of overnight drone attacks on several Ukrainian cities. Kyiv, the capital, was targeted by a barrage of exploding drones. Debris from intercepted drones caused fires in residential areas across the Obolonskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts, setting parked vehicles ablaze and damaging homes.
"Medics were called to the Sviatoshynskyi district," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, adding that emergency crews responded to multiple fire incidents.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 183 explosive drones and decoys in a single night. Of these, 77 were shot down, and 73 were likely disabled through electronic jamming. Two ballistic missiles were also fired, according to the same report.
47 wounded in Kharkiv drone strike
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a drone assault late Friday left 47 people injured. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones hit at least 12 sites, including residential areas and civil infrastructure. Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that homes and vehicles had sustained extensive damage.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded with a renewed call for stronger international support. “While the world hesitates with decisions, nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs strengthened air defense. Strong and real decisions are needed from our partners – the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace,” he wrote on X.
Kyiv rejects Kremlin truce proposal
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-day truce to coincide with Second World War Victory Day commemorations on 9 May. But Ukrainian officials saw it as a political move, not a genuine offer.
“This is more of a theatrical performance on his part, because in two or three days it is impossible to develop a plan for the next steps to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in embargoed remarks made public on Saturday.
The Kremlin said the ceasefire was to test Ukraine’s "readiness" for long-term peace. But Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, warned, “Nobody could guarantee Kyiv would survive to see 10 May if Ukraine attacked Moscow during the 9 May celebrations.”
Zelenskyy rejected the gesture outright. “We will not be playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on 9 May,” he said.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the situation remained tense. Russian shelling in Donetsk killed two people on Saturday. A drone strike on Kherson left another civilian dead, and in the central region of Cherkasy, fires broke out following another drone attack. The regional governor, Ihor Taburets, said injuries were reported, though specific details are still emerging.
As Ukraine pioneers new tools of warfare, such as maritime drones, the conflict continues to evolve. But for civilians caught in the crossfire, the cost remains painfully real.
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