Crew of Russian Su-30 downed by surface drones confirmed dead – Ukraine's spy chief

The crew of the second Russian Su-30 fighter jet shot down by Ukrainian naval drones near Crimea on 2 May has been confirmed dead.

Source: Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), in an interview with The War Zone (TWZ), a defence and military technology news outlet

Details: Budanov described the downing of two Su-30s as a historic milestone for Ukraine’s defence forces.

He stated that Group 13, a special unit within the DIU, was responsible for destroying the aircraft using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles launched from Magura-7 uncrewed surface vessels.

Quote from the TWZ: "Budanov said that the crew of the first Su-30 survived and was picked up in the Black Sea by a civilian ship. Preliminary reports say the crew of the second jet was killed, he added."

Quote from Budanov: "We use a couple of models [of missiles] on our Magura-7, but the best results [come from] the AIM-9."

For reference: The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a US-made air-to-air missile with an infrared homing system.

Background:

• On 2 May, a special DIU unit, in cooperation with Ukraine's Security Service and the defence forces, shot down a Russian Su-30 using surface drones equipped with air-to-air missiles in the Black Sea near the port of Novorossiysk.
• Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the downing of a second Russian aircraft within 24 hours, also over occupied Crimea.

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