Ukrainian intelligence forces shoot down Russian Su-30SM over Black Sea
Source: Ukraine’s defense ministry
Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence said on Thursday its special forces took down a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet over the Black Sea. The video revealed on social media, showed the moment the Russian aircraft is shot down with a portable air defense system (MANPADS).
The destroyed Su-30SM was part of the 43rd Independent Naval Aviation Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces, stationed at the Saki airbase in Crimea. The jet went down on September 11 at around 5:00 a.m.
According to reports, the crash made Russian forces launch a search and rescue mission. They deployed an An-26 aircraft along with Mi-8 and Ka-27 helicopters. Hours later, they traced the plane wreckage and a fuel spill 70 kilometers northwest of Cape Tarkhankut.
This loss is not just a tactical blow but also a financial one, as the jet’s estimated value is some $50 million.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.
Rinat Akhmetov’s Metinvest Group has completed the construction of an upgraded underground NATO Role 2 hospital in one of the hottest sectors of the frontline. This is the second stabilization point established under the Steel Front initiative in cooperation with the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new facility, funded by Metinvest with an investment of UAH 21 million, is more secure than the first one thanks to its deeper location underground (over 6 meters) and additional fortifications.
Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.