Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) said Monday its special operations unit has destroyed two Russian Be-12 “Chaika” anti-submarine amphibious airplanes in occupied Crimea, marking the first confirmed combat destruction of this model of Soviet-designed flying boats.
The operation, carried out on Sept. 21 by the HUR’s “Ghosts” unit, targeted Russia’s naval aviation assets on the peninsula, HUR said in a statement.
“This is the first ever destruction of Be-12 aircraft in history,” the agency noted, underscoring the significance of the attack.
The Be-12, nicknamed “Chaika” (seagull), was developed in the 1950s and remains in limited use by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The turboprop amphibious planes are equipped with advanced systems to detect and combat submarines, making them valuable for maritime patrols.
In addition to the two Be-12s, Ukrainian forces said they also hit another Russian Mi-8 multirole helicopter during the same raid. No details were given about the exact location of the strikes in Crimea or the weapons used.
HUR published a corresponding video. The video captures a first-person view of the strike: the drone camera rapidly closes in on the Russian aircraft before a powerful blast. Two Be-12 anti-submarine seaplanes and a Mi-8 helicopter parked on the airfield are hit in sequence.
The exact location of the strikes are unclear at the time of publication.
Moscow has not commented on the claim, and battlefield reports could not be independently verified by Kyiv Post.
“Armed struggle continues,” HUR said in its statement, closing with the slogan: “Glory to Ukraine.”
On Sunday, HUR said it had struck Russian Mi-8 helicopters and Nebo-U radar systems in occupied Crimea amid Kyiv’s intensified aerial assaults on the occupied peninsula.
Though the dates of the attacks are unclear, HUR has provided footage of the attacks alongside its Sunday announcement.
HUR claimed to have hit three Mi-8 helicopters and “an expensive Russian 55Zh6U ‘Nebo-U’ radar” in the update, which was substantiated by the drone footage shared alongside the update, captured by the drones’ IR cameras.
Kyiv has intensified attacks on occupied Crimea in recent months.
In early September, HUR said it destroyed a 48Ya6-K1 “Podlet” radar and an RLM-M module of the 55Zh6M “Nebo-M” system, in addition to more Mi-8s and a tug boat targeted earlier the same month.
Ukraine reportedly used its new Flamingo missile during one of the strikes.
A spokesperson from the Ukrainian navy said Russia has positioned more air defense systems than the oil refineries located within Russia.