Russian forces accidentally shot down one of their own military aircraft overnight while attempting to intercept Ukrainian drones over Crimea, Ukrainian officials said Friday. Ukrainian authorities say they are still gathering information about the incident.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said the plane was shot down by Russian air defense missiles while defending against incoming Ukrainian drones.
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“They were repelling Ukrainian attacks and ended up shooting down their own plane today,” Pletenchuk told Apostrof media during a live broadcast, RBC reported. “The fight continues, and all information [about the incident] is being collected in Crimea.”
The drone attacks are also believed to have caused significant damage to Russian infrastructure. Explosions were reported early Friday morning in the village of Hvardiiske, where a major oil depot belonging to the ATAN gas station network caught fire.
Eyewitnesses, cited by the Crimean Wind [Krymsky Veter] Telegram channel, said the blaze sent thick black smoke into the sky.
Several electrical substations on the peninsula were also damaged. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-backed head of Crimea, said repair work is underway but warned of potential temporary power outages.
Authorities have implemented temporary shutdowns in parts of Krasnoperekopsk, Dzhankoi, and Saky districts to prevent overloads while repairs continue.
CARTOON: Ukrainian Drones Liberating Crimea
The assault came shortly after Ukrainian drones struck multiple strategic targets in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on Oct. 13, including the Feodosia Marine Oil Terminal and several key electricity substations, sources within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Post.
The same oil depot was also hit previously, the day before Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s birthday, as part of a massive overnight drone assault on Oct. 6 – during which Ukrainian forces reportedly launched 250 to 300 unmanned aircraft toward 14 Russian regions and occupied Crimea.
Last week, Kyiv Post reported that the US, under President Donald Trump, reportedly provided the necessary intelligence to help Kyiv strike Russian oil facilities across the country in a secret bid to push Moscow toward negotiations.
As of early October, Ukrainian attacks reportedly shut down 38% of Russian oil refineries and prompted an oil crisis inside Russia, with sales restrictions on gasoline and diesel introduced in multiple regions.
The Financial Times, citing unnamed US and Ukrainian officials, said the US intelligence community quietly assisted with the attack planning process by providing Kyiv with useful data.
The data included route planning, altitude, timing, and mission details that helped Ukrainian drones evade Russian air defenses.
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