Military — 2026-10-05

Ukrainian Drones Fly 500km to Strike Russian Su-35 and Su-34 at Khanskaya Air Base

BLUFSBU drone strikes at Khanskaya, 500 km inside Russia, expose southern Russian tactical aviation bases to attrition that will force costly dispersal or hardening measures.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on October 4 that drones from its Alpha Special Operations Center hit a Su-35 fighter, a Su-34 fighter-bomber and an ammunition depot at Khanskaya airfield in Russia's Republic of Adygea, about 500 km from Ukrainian territory 123. Ukrainska Pravda, citing the SBU website, dated the strike to the night of October 3-4 4. The SBU put the aircraft's export values at about $100 million and $50 million, and said both carry guided aerial bombs 24. Kyiv Independent noted the damage could not be independently verified, and said Russia's Defense Ministry separately claimed it downed 559 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over Adygea 2. United24 Media reported open-source footage and NASA FIRMS thermal detections indicating a fire at the airfield 5.

Analysis
Russian tactical aviation bases in the south are exposed to SBU long-range drones, and Moscow will likely have to disperse aircraft or add hardened shelters and air defense at Khanskaya and comparable airfields in the coming weeks. If the ammunition depot hit is accurate, it would further disrupt sortie generation for guided-bomb carriers. Every report traces to one SBU claim, and only open-source footage and thermal detections of a fire add independent support, without showing which aircraft were damaged or how badly. The SBU may have overstated the result, since a fire and a depot hit do not establish that either aircraft was destroyed or disabled, and the announcement also serves Kyiv's messaging on the cost of guided-bomb attacks.

6 sources

Ukrainian drones hit two Russian fighter jets at air base in Adygea - Ukrinform
Russian Su-35, Su-34 fighter jets hit by drones at airfield in Adygea, SBU says - Kyiv Independent
SBU Drones Hit Su-35, Su-34 Jets and Ammo Depot at Khanskaya Base - Kyiv Post
Ukrainian drones fly 500 km to hit Russian Su-35 and Su-34 fighters at Khanskaya air base - Ukrainska Pravda
Ukraine Strikes Russia's Su-35 and Su-34 Fighters in 500-Km Drone Raid - United24 Media
The SSU struck Su-35 and Su-34 aircraft and an ammunition depot - Censor.net