Ukrainian Saboteurs Infiltrate Russian Airfield to Destroy Su-27 Fighter

<p >A report from Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate has claimed the destruction of a Russian Su-27P Flanker fighter aircraft at an airfield in the Russian city of Krymsk, Krasnodar Krai. The attack was carried out by the directorate’s operatives on December 14, 2024, and was described as part of a broader campaign to target Russian military infrastructure. The air base in question is one of the less well defended facilities in Russia, and hosts some of the country’s oldest fighter aircraft, with the large majority of Su-27s having already been phased out of service while <a href=" target="_blank">those that remain</a> are not relied on for significant frontline operations. The Su-27 formed the elite of the Soviet Air Force when the Cold War ended, and was considered the world’s most capable air superiority fighter in the 1980s. The sharp contraction of the Russian Air Force’s fighter fleet from 1992 led the service to prioritise retaining Su-27s class over other kinds of fighter, despite their high operational costs. The aircraft were subsequent began to be phased out of service two decades later from the early 2010s as <a href=" target="_blank">more advanced</a> ‘4+ generation’ fighters such as the Su-30SM and Su-35 were procured. An estimated 60-80 Su-27s are currently in service, down from a peak of close to 400 fighters. </p><p ><img src=" title="Su-27 Fighter in Soviet Service"></p><p >Initial Ukrainian claims that the attack destroyed one of Russia’s much more capable Su-30 fighters, rather than an older Su-27, were later disprove by the footage that was released, although the footage confirmed that the fighter either suffered critical damage or was completely destroyed. It is notable that Ukrainian special forces have played a central role in supporting <a href=" target="_blank">recent advances</a> by the Al Nusra Front and other Syrian insurgent groups against the Russian-aligned Syrian state, with major successes in the theatre potentially having emboldened these units to press their offensives into Russian territory itself. While the loss of a Su-27 in and of itself is far from significant, with all Su-27Ps expected to have been phased out within the next five years, Ukrainian special forces’ ability to operate behind Russian lines is likely cause for concern in the Russian Armed Forces. Such infiltration missions have previously targeted more valuable aviation assets, including strategic bombers, by launching short range drone attacks from within Russia’s borders. The destruction of only a single Su-27 in the latest attack, rather than a large squadron or any higher value aircraft, indicates that Ukrainian forces face significant limitations in their ability to launch attacks.</p>