Since the start of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost more than half of the Su-30SM multirole fighters belonging to the 43rd Independent Naval Assault Air Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet.
Based at the occupied Saki airfield in Crimea, the unit had, in 2022, a full squadron of 12 aircraft of this model, in addition to Su-24s. The first loss occurred in March 2022, in the Mykolaiv region, when both pilots were captured.
New significant losses came in August 2022, when a Ukrainian strike on the Saki airfield destroyed three Su-30SMs and damaged another, as well as hitting several Su-24s. In September 2024, a fighter was shot down by man-portable air defense systems operated by a special Ukrainian unit. In May 2025, another Su-30SM was shot down over the Black Sea, marking the first time Ukraine used an AIM-9 missile launched from a maritime drone against this type of aircraft.
The most recent incident, which occurred today, brought the total number of Su-30SMs lost by the regiment since 2022 to seven. In addition to the permanent losses, two fighters were damaged in attacks on the Saki airfield, including one in July 2025 carried out with the long-range UJ-26 Bober drone. These losses represent a considerable blow to the air capability of the Black Sea Fleet.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @Osinttechnical | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Russian Air Force adjacent milblogger Fighterbomber confirms the loss of a Russian Su-30SM multirole fighter.
Earlier today, Ukraine’s MOD reported that one crashed in the Black Sea south of Snake Island. pic.twitter.com/MKMqQDA0hk
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 14, 2025
