Military — 2026-05-16

Ukraine Unmanned Systems Forces Destroy Rare Be-200 Amphibious Aircraft at Yeysk Airbase

BLUFDestroying an irreplaceable Be-200 alongside infrastructure that trains Russia's carrier aviators converts a single night's strike into a lasting structural loss for Russian naval aviation.

Overnight on May 14-15, operators from the 1st Separate Center of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck Yeysk airbase in Russia, destroying a Be-200 Altair amphibious aircraft and hitting a Ka-27 helicopter, according to USF Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi via Telegram. USF-released footage confirms the Be-200 was completely destroyed; the Ka-27, which Russian forces had partially shielded with netting, sustained damage of undetermined extent. The operation, coordinated with the Center for Deep Strikes, also struck a Pantsir-S1 in occupied Crimea, a Tor-M2 in Luhansk Oblast, and an ammunition-laden cargo vessel in Berdiansk. Brovdi reported that the Pantsir-S1 and Tor-M2 were the 16th and 17th Russian air defense elements the USF had destroyed between May 1 and 15.

Analysis
The Be-200's destruction at Yeysk, per a single Ukrainian military Telegram post unconfirmed by independent imagery, is strategically disproportionate to the strike's tactical scope. Russia has produced roughly ten airframes in three decades, and industrial constraints make near-term replacement impractical. Yeysk hosts the 859th Naval Aviation Training Center and the NITKA carrier-deck simulation complex, compounding attrition beyond the airframe. The USF's 17 air defense kills in May's first fifteen days, against a cumulative 153 since December, reflect a deliberate, sustained degradation campaign. Russia's netting of the Ka-27 confirms threat awareness without arresting attrition, though higher-priority aircraft may already have been withdrawn from Yeysk before the strike, reducing the Be-200's operational value at the time of destruction.

5 sources

Ukrainian drones destroy Be-200 amphibious aircraft and strike Ka-27 helicopter in Yeysk, Russia - Ukrinform
Ukraine hits Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft and Ka-27 helicopter – video - Ukrainska Pravda
Unmanned Systems Forces Destroy Be-200 Aircraft and Hit Ka-27 Helicopter in Russia's Yeysk - Militarnyi
Ukraine Blew Up One of Russia's Rare Be-200 Aircraft, Hit Ka-27 Helicopter at Yeysk Air Base - United24 Media
SBS struck Russian aviation in Yeysk, Ryazan Oil Refinery hit by a 'courtesy visit' - 'Madyar' - Ukrainian News Agency (UNN) / USF Commander Robert 'Madyar' Brovdi (Telegram)