Correction — 24 August 2026
This report followed Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces in identifying one of the aircraft struck at Vityazevo as a Su-33. Analysts examining the released footage have since assessed, from the raised fairing behind the cockpit, that it was more likely a two-seat Su-30SM, probably belonging to a naval aviation regiment displaced from Crimea. The identification remains disputed, and Russia has not confirmed any losses. The original wording is left below, annotated.
Ukrainian drones struck two Russian combat aircraft and a swathe of air-defence equipment at an airfield in southern Russia, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said on 23 August 2026. The claim has not been independently verified.
According to Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the targets at the Vityazevo airfield in Krasnodar Krai included a Su-33 e un MiG-29, along with a large Orion strike drone. He said further strikes across the region hit S-400, Pantsir and Tor air-defence systems and eight high-value radars in Krasnodar Krai, Rostov Oblast and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Informazioni rapide
| Segnalato | 23 August 2026 |
| Airfield | Vityazevo, Krasnodar Krai, Russia |
| Aircraft claimed | One aircraft identified by Ukraine as a Su-33 and one MiG-29 |
| Also claimed | A Kronstadt Orion strike drone |
| Air defences claimed | S-400, Pantsir and Tor systems; eight radars |
| Fonte | Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (unverified) |
What Ukraine claims
Brovdi said the strikes were carried out by the 1st Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces, a unit that specialises in long-range attacks, and posted videos of the strikes to his Telegram channel. The Su-33 is a relatively rare Russian carrier-based fighter, though analysts reviewing the footage now assess that this particular aircraft was more likely a two-seat Su-30SM; the Orion is a Russian medium-altitude, long-endurance drone that Moscow has increasingly used to launch cheap cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine.
Part of a wider campaign
The reported strike fits a pattern Ukraine has pursued through 2026: systematically attacking Russian air bases, radars and surface-to-air missile systems far behind the front line, forcing Moscow to spread its defences thin.
As with most claims from this war, the figures come from one side and should be read with caution until corroborated.
Sources: Kyiv Independent; Ukrainska Pravda; RUSI (Justin Bronk, 28 July 2026); Robert Brovdi (Telegram).
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