The latest attack against the Russian Be-12 Chayka seaplanes further underscores Ukraine’s commitment to a free Crimea.
The Ukrainian intelligence service has struck again, using suicide drones to destroy two Russian seaplanes in one of the war’s most contested regions.
On Monday, the Ukrainian Military Intelligence used drones to destroy two Beriev Be-12 Chayka seaplanes and a Mi-8 transport helicopter at the Kacha Air Base near Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Be-12 Chayka Attacked
The Ukrainian Military Intelligence released a video of the attack from the point of view of the suicide drones. The fast-flying unmanned aerial systems closed in on their targets, neatly parked on an airfield, before the video goes off, marking a successful strike.
This is the first destruction of Be-12 Chayka seaplanes in the conflict.
The Beriev Be-12 Chayka is an amphibious aircraft designed for anti-submarine and maritime patrol missions. The aircraft succeeded the Soviet Beriev Be-6 flying boat.
“Along with two enemy Be-12 aircraft during the raid on Crimea, the ‘Ghosts’ of the HUR also hit another multi-purpose helicopter of the Russian invaders, the Mi-8,” the Ukrainian Military Intelligence said in a statement accompanying the video.
Sevastopol is the capital of Crimea and a key military hub for the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy.
This is the second attack against Russian targets in Crimea in just a few days. On Sunday, Ukrainian forces attacked Russian Mi-8 transport helicopters and Nebo-U radar systems.
The Ukrainian military and intelligence services have shown remarkable ingenuity and determination to strike Russian targets associated with the invasion. The Ukrainians have found unmanned aerial systems to be the perfect vehicle for their goal to wreak havoc on Russian military bases, critical infrastructure, aircraft, command and control centers, air defense systems, headquarters, and other high-value targets.
Earlier this year, the Ukrainians achieved a major coup by simultaneously targeting and destroying dozens of Russian strategic bombers across Russia with suicide drones.
Overall, many of the targets struck by the Ukrainian military and intelligence service have been in Crimea, underscoring Kyiv’s focus on the strategic Peninsula.
The Crimea Question
Russia has controlled the Crimean Peninsula since 2014. Moscow’s surprise invasion and subsequent annexation of Crimea are core to why there is a conflict today. Russian special operations forces and Wagner Group paramilitary mercenaries stormed Crimea, taking Ukraine and the international community by surprise. Soon thereafter, a pro-Russian insurgency broke out in the Donbas, allowing the Kremlin to send troops.
Although Crimea has been under Russian occupation for almost a decade, Ukraine remains committed to liberating the peninsula. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated his government’s intention to liberate Crimea as part of the war effort. The Ukrainian military, however, lost an opportunity to storm Crimea and achieve a foothold in the peninsula during its large-scale counteroffensive in the summer of 2023. Kyiv’s mechanized brigades run into a Russian wall consisting of the most comprehensive defensive works seen in Europe since the end of World War II.
Over the past few months, Crimea has often found itself on the negotiation table as a potential territorial compromise in exchange for peace. Thus far, Ukraine has been adamant that the strategic peninsula remains Ukrainian. The latest attack against the Russian Be‑12 Chayka seaplanes further underscores Ukraine’s commitment to a free Crimea.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Dianov Boris / Shutterstock.com
