Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) claimed via Telegram that a sabotage attack by its operators caused the destruction of a Russian Su-27 fighter aircraft at the military airfield in the Russian city of Krymsk, Krasnodar Krai, Saturday. It also said that the same group had set fire to and destroyed three Russian locomotives in the same area on the previous night.
Images on Telegram showed a fierce fire engulfing the aircraft, bearing the tail number “Red 16,” which certainly seriously damaged if it didn’t not totally destroyed the Su-27P (NATO-Flanker) air superiority fighter, which the independent Russian news site Astra initially identified as a more modern Su-30, the updated version of the Flanker.
As the military issues website Defense Blog reported, this was yet another incident of sabotage against Russian airfields which led to criticism from independent analysts, and particularly, pro-Russian milbloggers, who decry Moscow’s inability to protect its important rear area assets.
Especially indignant was the Военный информатор (Military Informant) Telegram channel, which is reputed to have close links with Russian military insiders said:
“This is far from the first instance since the beginning of hostilities where allegedly bribed enemy agents have infiltrated ostensibly secure military facilities, conducted sabotage, filmed the acts, and departed without incident.”
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The site went on to deride what it saw as vulnerabilities caused by negligence on the part of Russian rear area security:
“Despite years of similar incidents – surveillance cameras, motion detectors, guard posts, and sentries remain conspicuously absent at these rear facilities.”
The site pointed out that the Krymsk incident was just the latest in a long series of sabotage attacks aimed at Russian military aviation assets, and listed six other serious incidents of such operations, which are summarized below.
Oct. 31, 2022 – Two Russian Naval Aviation Ka-52 Alligator (NATO: Hokum-B) attack helicopters were destroyed and two more seriously damaged by explosives attack at the Ostrov airfield in Pskov in western Russia.
May 9, 2023 – The Freedom of Russia Legion set fire to and destroyed an Su-24 (NATO: Fencer) supersonic, swing-wing bomber under maintenance at the Sukhoi Superjet Company's aviation plant in Novosibirsk, in southern Siberia
Jan. 4, 2024 – A Russian Su-34 (NATO: Fullback) fighter-bomber belonged to the aviation regiment of the 21st Mixed Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces was set on fire at a Shagol military airfield in Chelyabinsk.
April 26, 2024 – HUR claimed it had carried out an overnight arson attack that destroyed a Russian Ka-32 (NATO: Helix-C) multirole helicopter was destroyed at the Ostafyevo airfield in Moscow.
Sept. 11, 2024 – Two teenage boys set fire to a Mi-8T (NATO: Hip-C) helicopter at Novy Urengoy airport in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug claiming that they had been contacted via Telegram and promised a reward of 5 million rubles ($50,000) for the attack.
Sept.21, 2024 – Two sixteen-year-old boys threw an incendiary device into a Mi-8 AMTSh helicopter equipped with a B-8V20A launcher for 70 mm S-8 unguided missiles at the Omsk-Severny military airfield claiming they had been promised two million rubles ($20,000) to carry out the attack.
The HUR did not disclose any specific details on the latest sabotage attack but warned it was part of its ongoing strategy of disrupting Russian military operations by attacks on military logistic and infrastructure facilities. There has been a marked upsurge in covert attacks on Russian territory focused on airbases and logistic hubs.
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