Ukraine strikes 2 Russian fighters, air defense assets in Krasnodar Krai, drone commander says
The two jets, a Su-33 and a Mig-29, as well as a large Orion strike drone, were hit at the Vityazevo airfield in Russia's southern region of Krasnodar Krai, Robert Brovdi said.
On August 23, Ukrainian drones targeted two Russian fighter jets, a large missile-carrying drone, radar systems, and other air defense assets at the Vityazevo airfield in Krasnodar Krai, according to Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert Magyar Brovdi. The destroyed aircraft included a Su-33 and a Mig-29, alongside a large Orion strike drone, comparable to the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 used by Ukraine.
Within a battlefield filled with enemy air defenses and interceptor drones on both sides, drones like the Orion and TB-2 have become largely ineffective. Since 2026, Russia has repurposed the Orion to launch the economical Banderol cruise missile, frequently employed against Ukraine's Black Sea port infrastructure. These three strikes, captured on video and posted on Brovdi's Telegram channel, were conducted by the 1st Center of Unmanned Systems Forces, specializing in long-range strikes.
In addition to the targeted aircraft, other assets struck by the drones included S-400, Pantsir, and Tor air defense systems, along with eight high-value radars in Krasnodar Krai, Rostov Oblast, and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
