Ukrainian special forces in three small boats managed to fight off a Russian Su-30 fighter jet, damaging it and eventually forcing it to flee, the Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR) announced.
A 13-minute video released by GUR shows Ukrainian soldiers on boats under aerial attack from a Russian Su-30 fighter jet. Despite being at a technological disadvantage, the Ukrainians used their service weapons to fire at the jet as it made passes overhead.
Eventually, the Ukrainian soldiers were able to strike the jet with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). This surface-to-air missile system, capable of being operated by a single individual or a small crew, successfully damaged the Russian Su-30, forcing it to retreat.
The dramatic showdown was part of Ukraine’s operation to reclaim four strategically vital oil and gas platforms in the Black Sea, near the Russian-occupied Crimean coast that had been under Russian control since 2015.
“During the operation, the special forces managed to seize valuable trophies: a stockpile of helicopter ammunition of the NAR type (unguided aerial missiles), as well as the Neva radar, which can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea,” GUR shared in a Telegram post.
Ukrainian special forces have been fighting Russian troops around the platforms for about a month as part of Kyiv’s counteroffensive.