Two Russian fighter jets burned in sabotage attack
Ukrainian military intelligence says two Russian fighter aircraft were disabled during a fire at a military airfield near the city of Lipetsk overnight on Dec. 20–21, in what Kyiv describes as a sabotage operation carried out by the resistance movement inside Russia.
According to a statement from the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, the incident occurred at a Russian military airfield outside Lipetsk and resulted in damage to two high-value combat aircraft: a Su-30 and a Su-27.
“As a result of an operation by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, directly carried out by a representative of the resistance movement against the criminal Russian regime, both military aircraft of the aggressor were put out of action,” the agency said.
Ukrainian intelligence estimated the combined value of the two damaged aircraft at up to $100 million. The statement said the jets were used by Russia in what it described as a genocidal war against Ukraine.
The aircraft involved were identified as a Su-27 with tail number “12” and a Su-30 with tail number “82.” According to the agency, both were destroyed by fire following careful preparation of the operation.
“The Su-27 and Su-30 with tail numbers ‘12’ and ‘82’ were successfully burned thanks to thorough preparation, composure, and professionalism,” the intelligence service said.
The statement added that planning for the special operation at the airfield near Lipetsk took two weeks. Ukrainian officials provided additional details on the status of the aircraft involved.
According to the open sources, the Su-27 with tail number “12” was an exhibition or demonstration aircraft, likely used for museum purposes. In contrast, the Su-30 with tail number “82” was described as an operational aircraft that carried out combat missions and training flights.
The Russian military has not publicly commented on the incident, and independent confirmation of the extent of the damage has not been provided by Moscow. Russian regional authorities also did not issue an immediate statement explaining the cause of the fire.
Lipetsk is home to a major Russian military aviation center and air base used for training and testing combat aircraft. The base has been linked in open sources to Russia’s tactical aviation operations and pilot training programs.
