Ukrainian Drones Hit 5 Russian Airfields, Destroying 15 Aircraft in 2025

Ukraine’s Alpha special operations unit has used long-range drones to strike five Russian military airfields in 2025, destroying or disabling 15 aircraft and causing losses it estimated at more than $1 billion.

In a statement released recently, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the strikes were carried out over the past year against airfields located deep inside Russia, targeting bases used by aircraft involved in missile and guided bomb attacks on Ukrainian cities. The agency said the operations were supported by video footage showing damage to aircraft on the ground.

According to the SBU, the losses included 11 fighter jets and bombers — Su-30SM, Su-34, Su-27, Su-24, and MiG-31 — along with three helicopters, the Mi-28, Mi-26, and Mi-8, and one An-26 transport aircraft. The agency said the aircraft were destroyed or damaged beyond operational use.

The SBU added that ammunition storage areas and fuel depots at the targeted airfields were also hit, contributing to the overall damage estimate. It said the strikes reduced Russia’s ability to launch air attacks from those locations and lowered aviation activity in some areas of the front.

The Ukrainian security agency linked the airfield strikes to a broader drone campaign in 2025, which it said also included attacks on Russian air defense systems and radar infrastructure. It separately reported drone operations against energy infrastructure, including a January strike on the Tamannaftegaz oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar Territory.

Russia has not publicly confirmed the losses described by Ukraine, and independent verification of the damage remains limited due to wartime reporting constraints.