Ukrainian marine drones armed with Soviet-era missiles down Russian Su-30 jet near Novorossiysk
Ukrainian naval drones, equipped with Soviet-era R-73 air-to-air missiles, struck a Russian Su-30 fighter jet near the Russian port of Novorossiysk. This information has been confirmed by Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence and corroborated by Z-channels, including the prominent Russian war channel Rybar.
According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence, the strike was carried out by the special unit known as Group 13 using a MAGURA marine drone platform, modified to launch these aviation missiles. The Russian multirole fighter jet, valued at approximately $50 million, burst into flames in the air and crashed into the sea.
The R-73 missile, a Soviet-era development initially designed to be launched from fighter jets, has been adapted over time to be deployed from ground and sea carriers. Even before Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian companies had begun repairing and upgrading these missiles. The installation of the R-73, equipped with an infrared guidance system, on marine drones was officially announced by Ukrainian intelligence last