SBU: drones hit a Su-35 and a Su-34 at Khanskaya airfield in Adygea

What the SBU said

Overnight into 4 October, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attacked the Khanskaya military airfield in Russia’s Republic of Adygea. “Last night, the Security Service of Ukraine successfully attacked the Khanskaya air base in Russia’s Republic of Adygea. The distance to the target was about 500 km,” the service said in a statement cited by Ukrinform, UNIAN and Rubryka.

According to the SBU, drones of its Special Operations Centre “A” hit:

• a Su-35 — a multirole fighter considered one of Russia’s most advanced combat aircraft; the SBU puts its export value at about $100 million;
• a Su-34 — a fighter-bomber and a key aircraft of Russia’s tactical aviation, with an export value of about $50 million;
• an ammunition depot at the airfield.

Why these aircraft

The SBU stressed that both aircraft carry guided aerial bombs (KABs), “which the enemy uses massively on the front line and against Ukrainian cities”. Guided bombs are ordinary aerial bombs fitted with gliding and correction kits: the aircraft releases them from tens of kilometres away. That is why striking the carriers themselves and their airfields is one of the few ways to reduce the number of such bombs.

The service also said Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities, civilians and critical infrastructure would not go unanswered.

A wider campaign

The Khanskaya strike is part of a series of operations against Russian aviation. As Ukrinform recalls, the Unmanned Systems Forces earlier reported destroying a Su-33 carrier-based fighter, a Mi-8 helicopter and two electronic warfare systems in Anapa. At the same time, Ukrainian drones are hitting oil refineries and energy facilities in Russia: on the same day, the Defence Ministry said more than half of Russia’s refining capacity had been knocked out.

How it became known

According to DW, monitoring channels were the first to report the attack on the Khanskaya airfield near Maikop overnight into Sunday, and the SBU later confirmed it. The airfield lies in southern Russia, far from the front line, so striking it requires long-range drones and precise guidance. Ukrainian and international sources had not reported a Russian reaction at the time of publication.

What to keep in mind

The damage claims come from the SBU; there is no independent confirmation of the extent of the damage in open sources at the time of publication. “Hit” does not necessarily mean destroyed: some aircraft can be repaired after drone strikes. Still, even temporarily taking modern fighters out of action reduces the number of sorties with guided bombs.

The distance of about 500 km shows how far Ukrainian strike drones now reach: Ukraine uses domestically produced drones for such operations, and the Defence Ministry calls scaling them up one of its priorities.

Why it matters

Guided aerial bombs are one of the main threats to frontline cities, including Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and towns in the Donetsk region. Every carrier taken out of action means fewer bombs dropped on positions and residential areas. For Russia, it is also a financial loss: by the SBU’s estimate, the combined export value of the two aircraft hit is about $150 million.