Container Ship Rescues Russian Pilots Bailed Out From Downed Su-30SM

A civilian container ship rescued two Russian pilots who ejected from their Su-30SM fighter after it was downed by a Ukrainian sea drone near Crimea, according to multiple reports.

The incident occurred when the Su-30SM aircraft, part of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was repelling a naval drone attack targeting Crimea and Russia’s Krasnodar Territory. Ukrainian sources claimed that one of their Magura-7 unmanned surface vessels successfully struck the fighter jet. Reports emphasized that the drone launched an American-made AIM-9 air-to-air missile at the Russian plane.

Following the missile strike, the fighter crashed into the water, forcing the pilots to eject. Russian military correspondents said the pilots found themselves in the sea surrounded by Ukrainian unmanned boats.

In what sources described as an unexpected development, the civilian crew of the container ship VICTORIA FORTUNE intervened. They successfully rescued the pilots despite the presence of hostile drones. Reports suggested that Ukrainian forces hesitated to attack the civilian vessel, which enabled the rescue operation to proceed without incident.

Military experts noted that the downing of the Su-30SM came amid a broader Ukrainian drone offensive reportedly aimed at probing Russian defenses. Some analysts claimed British military specialists assisted in planning the operation, describing it as a form of reconnaissance in force.