Latest news with #Su-27s
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Bridge-Busting Su-27s Are Trying To Isolate Russian Troops In Belgorod
An Su-27 bombs a bridge in Belgorod. Ukrainian air force Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, modified to lob American- and French-made precision glide bombs, are blowing up bridges in western Russia. A video montage that circulated online on Thursday depicts bombs slamming into at least two bridges in Grafovka and Nadezhdovka as Ukrainian surveillance drones observe. It's obvious what the Su-27 pilots, members of a war-hardened community of aviators flying Ukraine's dwindling force of ex-Soviet heavyweight fighters, are trying to do. They're trying to isolate the swathe of Belgorod bordering northern Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops have launched a new incursion just weeks after retreating from neighboring Kursk Oblast. Dropping bridges over the Siverskyi Donets River and other waterways in Belgorod and Kursk could be the key to this effort. The Kursk operation, which kicked off in August, failed in part because Ukrainian forces were unable to prevent Russian forces from crossing the Seym River on the western side of the Ukrainian-held salient. The Russians closed in from the west, eventually deploying an elite drone force that severed the main supply line into the salient, destroying hundreds of Ukrainian vehicles and ultimately forcing the Ukrainian survivors out of Kursk. Clearly, Kyiv's troops are determined to avoid a repeat of their defeat in Kursk. It's not yet apparent how grand the Ukrainians' ambitions are in Belgorod—the current incursion may, by design, be brief and shallow. But if they do aim to occupy a meaningful portion of Belgorod, they'll need the region's rivers to work for them. An Su-27 drops Small Diameter Bombs. Modified to carry Hammer glide bombs from France and similar Joint Direct Attack Munitions and Small Diameter Bombs from the United States, the Su-27s are equipped for the task. But flying close enough to western Russia to target the region's bridges is dangerous even for the speedy, maneuverable Su-27s. Fortunately, their pilots have help. While the Su-27s lack self-protection systems such as radar jammers, the jets are now flying alongside ex-European Lockheed Martin F-16s and ex-French Mirage 2000s that do have highly capable jammers—and can extend their electronic protection to nearby planes including Su-27s. 'We carry out flights to cover our other combat brothers, the [Mikoyan] MiG-29s [and] Su-27s,' one Ukrainian F-16 pilot said in a recent official interview. The complex strike planning, with different plane types supporting each other, appears to be working. Days or even weeks into the bridge-bombing campaign, the Ukrainians haven't yet lost any jets. Which is fortunate for the Su-27 force. Ukraine went to war in February 2022 with no more than 57 flyable Su-27s—and has lost at least 16 in action, including six that were damaged or destroyed last summer in a Russian missile attack while parked at Mirgorod air base, 100 miles from Ukraine's northern border with Russia. Ukraine doesn't build Su-27s, and none of its allies have surplus examples of the type. Every bridge-busting Su-27 Kyiv loses is a bridge-busting Su-27 it can't replace.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine drones attack Russian oil refinery producing fuel for supersonic jets
Ukrainian drones attacked the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast which produces fuel for supersonic jet engines on the night of 9-10 March. Source: Ukrainska Pravda source in Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) Details: The source said DIU was behind the special operation in cooperation with other units of the Ukrainian defence forces. The strikes at the plant took place around 02:00 local time and could be heard in several districts of the city. Eyewitnesses from local news outlets reported a series of explosions at the refinery and noted that the facility had not completed the installation of protective nets that would have protected it from drone attacks. The Novokuibyshevsk refinery is the largest refinery among the Samara-based plants owned by Rosneft, Russia's state-owned largest oil company. Its refining capacity is over 8.8 million tonnes of oil per year. The company is one of the main producers of high-grade jet fuel for turbojet engines in subsonic and some supersonic aircraft, such as Su-27s and Tu-22M3s. The Russian occupation forces use these aircraft in particular for missile strikes against Ukraine. Background: The plant was attacked at least twice in March 2024. On the night of 9-10 March 2025, Astra, a Russian news outlet, reported with reference to local residents' messages that explosions had rocked Russia's Samara Oblast. It was noted that drones had targeted the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery which is part of the Rosneft group. Other Telegram channels wrote that fires had broken out at the facility Later, RBC, another Russian news outlet, reported that a fire had broken out over an area of 1,500 square metres in a warehouse at the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
