Ukrainian drones struck a key Russian air base in occupied Crimea, according to Ukraine. Kiev authorities claimed that the drone hit a MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptor aircraft and components of the S-400 air defense system at Belbek Air Base near Sevastopol.
The Ukrainian government’s main internal security agency, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reported that troops from its “Alfa” task force carried out a successful drone strike overnight. Russian officials, including the governor of Sevastopol, claimed the attack was repelled and 11 drones were shot down without any damage.
Minus Russian MiG-31 jets
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Last night, from the Warriors @ServiceSsu The Alpha Special Operations Center shot down a fully loaded Russian MiG-31 fighter jet at the temporarily occupied Belbek military airport in Crimea. S-2 Pantsir air defense system, S-400 air defense system… pic.twitter.com/qEsjJwrd0o
The SBU released a series of video stills showing the attack, with footage shot from the perspective of a long-range one-way attack drone flying towards its target. Based on the images, these drones are likely the same type of fiber optics launched by Ukrainian drone ships.
Crimean residents posted more videos on social media showing the explosion and Russian forces trying to shoot down the drone. At this point, it should be noted that without complete video of the attack, we cannot determine whether the drone exploded or the extent of the damage it might have caused.
According to the SBU, a MiG-31, a 92N6 (NATO reporting name Grave Stone) long-range multifunctional radar that is part of the S-400 system, two Nebo-SVU long-range surveillance radars and a Pantsir-S2 surface-to-air missile system were damaged.
Nebo-SVU long-range surveillance radar. business unit
Panties-S2. business unit
Ukraine claims the target MiG-31 carried its full combat load, although available videos show it carried no weapons under its wings. It is possible that it could carry air-to-air missiles under the fuselage, but front-mounted examples are also not visible. While it looks like a real aircraft rather than a decoy, it’s still possible that it’s a non-operational example. However, recent satellite imagery assessments TWZ In recent weeks, a MiG-31 has appeared sporadically at the base, sometimes even parked in the open.
It is also worth noting that the reported 92N6 system (pictured below) is covered in camouflage and/or anti-drone netting, making its head-on identification more difficult. It may also be the 96L6 (cheeseboard) full-altitude detection radar, also related to the S-400 air defense system.
business unit
This is a cheese board that has been in Belbek for a long time and you make a good ID, you can recognize it because the radar array has a round base and the tombstone has a rectangular one pic.twitter.com/f4RDqfaoYY
As for the estimated value of these devices, the SBU estimates the MiG-31 at $30-50 million, depending on configuration and armament, the 92N6 at $30 million, the Nebo-SVU at $60-100 million per unit, and the Pantsir-S2 at $12 million.
“The SBU continues to carry out effective work to destroy the Crimean air defense systems, which cover important military and logistical facilities of the occupier,” the agency said in a statement on the Telegram channel. “The elimination of components of this echelon system will significantly weaken the enemy’s defensive and military capabilities in the direction of Crimea.”
Belbek has been targeted by Ukraine in the past because of its key role in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The airbase is important in particular because its aircraft and air defense systems help extend coverage deeper into Ukraine and provide critical cover for the nearby Russian naval base in Sevastopol, as well as extending coverage into the Black Sea.
Several photos showing the VKS Su-27P/S were recently posted on the “warhistoryalconafter” TG channel. Visible air-to-air missiles include the R-73, R-27ET and R-27ER. Photo appears to be from Belbeck (thanks @StefanB2023 used to identify the base) – the jet may be assigned to the 38th IAP stationed there. pic.twitter.com/e6Dm4fGjfX
Belbek Air Base was used by Ukraine before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Today it is the home of the 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment (38th IAP in Russian terminology), you can read more about this unit here. When Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belbek received a large number of fighter jets deployed from Russian forces. These include examples of the Su-30SM and Su-35S, the Su-34 Defender strike fighter and the MiG-31.
The MiG-31 and the very long-range air-to-air missiles it carries pose a particular threat to the Ukrainian Air Force.
In October 2022, a MiG-31BM overran the runway while taking off from Belbek, crashed and completely burned. The navigation/weapon systems personnel successfully ejected from the rear cockpit and the pilot died.
The airbase’s value means it has received new hardened aircraft shelters and additional buildings to help protect aircraft from drone attacks and other indirect fire. It is part of a wider effort by Russian forces to improve the physical defenses of several airports following a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
View of the central area of Belbek, showing fortified aircraft shelters. Google Earth
It is worth noting that the MiG-31 was attacked while standing in the open without any protection. Its twin canopies were open, indicating that it was preparing for a sortie or had recently returned from one.
In addition to previous drone strikes, Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles with cluster munition warheads to attack bases. The ATACMS attack last May was significantly destructive. Satellite imagery after the attack confirmed that two MiG-31s were burned as a result of the attack. However, from that point on, the use of hardened aircraft shelters at Belbek would make stationed aircraft less vulnerable to ATACMS equipped with cluster munitions.
The Russian Aerospace Forces entered the current conflict with approximately 130 MiG-31s in service, a few of which have been modified to carry Dagger ballistic missiles. Two aircraft previously destroyed at Belbek were the only confirmed combat losses, but that has changed as more details of the latest drone attack have been released.
The same attack on Belbek in May 2024 resulted in Russia losing elements of its S-300 or S-400 air defense systems, including another radar that appeared to be a 92N6.
This is the first ground-based photo showing the aftermath of last night’s attack by Ukraine on Russia’s Belbek Air Force Base in Crimea with ATACMS missiles.
This appears to be the 92N6E Grave Stone multifunctional engagement radar destroyed by an S-400 surface-to-air… https://t.co/anrjNVYdfm pic.twitter.com/fclOaYBnVQ
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) May 15, 2024
The renewed targeting of Belbek overnight, which Ukraine claims has caused significant damage to valuable air defense assets, shows that Ukraine is continuing to put pressure on Russian forces in Crimea and is using a variety of weapons to achieve this goal.
