(Reuters) – Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday one of its warplanes shot down a Russian jet and damaged another over the Black Sea.
In a battle near Cape Tarkhankut on the west coast of Crimea on Tuesday, a Magura V5 missile-armed seaplane shot down a Russian Mi-8 fighter jet, Ukraine's intelligence agency GUR said on Telegram.
GUR said it was the first time that a Ukrainian naval aircraft shot down a target from the air. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
There was no comment from Russia. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-based governor of Sevastopol in Crimea, said on Telegram that two unidentified drones were destroyed near the coast at night.
Following Russia's all-out invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has ramped up drone production and developed maritime attack drones.
The downing of a Russian helicopter by a Ukrainian naval aircraft was also reported by a well-known Russian military blogger, Voenny Osvedomitel. GUR said a second Russian helicopter was able to reach the airfield after it was damaged in the attack.
In the grainy images released by GUR, a helicopter flying over the water can be seen targeting several projects. The plane is photographed landing after the attack. Reuters could not immediately verify the video.
Kyiv's military has used naval drones to attack Russian warships and equipment on the Crimean peninsula, which were captured and seized by Moscow in 2014.