Can Kasapoğlu
1. Ukrainian Naval Drones Shoot Down Russian Combat Aircraft
On May 2 near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, a Ukrainian Magura V7 naval drone shot down at least one Russian Su-30 fighter jet using modified AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
This marks the first time in the history of warfare that unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have intercepted manned fighter jets. Visuals from the engagement initially indicatedthat one Su-30 had been struck. But General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence services, subsequently announced that Ukraine’s forces had downed two aircraft.
Beyond its historic significance, this encounter matters for three reasons. First, it demonstrates the effectiveness of Ukraine’s asymmetric naval warfare capabilities—especially its robotic warfare systems, naval mines, and coastal anti-ship missiles—against Russian forces, namely Russia’s once-formidable Black Sea Fleet.
Second, Ukraine’s successful interception of Russian fighter aircraft showcases a significant shift in the dynamics of naval warfare and reinforces the utility of unmanned systems in modern combat. With limited resources, Ukraine has turned its USVs into effective naval air defense assets.
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