Russia has likely lost a Su-30SM fighter jet while conducting a mission southeast of Snake Island, the Ukrainian Navy said on Aug. 14.
The twin-engine, two-seat aircraft – designed for both air superiority and ground attack –reportedly crashed for unknown reasons.
According to the Navy, Ukrainian intelligence intercepted radio communications indicating the loss of contact with the aircraft. Russian forces have launched a search and rescue operation, and debris was reportedly spotted on the sea surface. The pilots remain missing, Kyiv said.
Snake Island, located 35 kilometers (22 miles) off Ukraine's Odesa Oblast, was seized by Russian forces in the first days of the full-scale invasion.
Its capture allowed Moscow to blockade Odesa's Black Sea ports and conduct missile strikes against Ukraine from the island until Russian troops withdrew in June 2022.
The loss adds to a growing list of Russian Su-30 aircraft destroyed or damaged during the war.
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