Russian air regiment suffers significant setback, with over half of its fighter aircraft destroyed or disabled
The Russian Black Sea Fleet's 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment, stationed at the Saky base since 2014, has experienced substantial losses of its Su-30SM multipurpose fighters since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.
Since 2022, over half of the initial 12 Su-30SM jets have been lost. Seven have been destroyed, and two more have been damaged. The losses primarily stem from Ukrainian strikes on the Crimean base, including drone attacks up to mid-2025.
The exact number of Su-24M fighter jets within the 43rd Regiment and their losses since 2022 are not detailed in the available sources.
The 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment consists mainly of transport and reconnaissance aircraft, with 18 Su-24M bombers and four Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft. However, they have suffered significant losses, with five Su-24 aircraft destroyed and three more damaged in an attack on August 9, 2022.
Other incidents involving the 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment include the shooting down of a Su-30SM aircraft on March 5, 2022, in the Mykolajiw region, resulting in the capture of its two pilots. Another Su-30SM was shot down by a Ukrainian naval drone on May 2, 2025, in the Black Sea. The latest incident occurred south-east of the Snake Island, as reported by the Ukrainian Navy.
The fate of the pilots of the recently crashed Su-30SM is unknown. Debris from the crashed aircraft was found on the surface of the Black Sea. On July 1, 2025, another Su-30SM was damaged by a Ukrainian drone attack in the Black Sea. An earlier incident occurred on September 11, 2024, when a Su-30SM was shot down by a Ukrainian special unit.
The Black Sea Fleet has smaller helicopter squadrons in addition to the larger units, but the 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment is the only larger attack unit in the air. The Telegram channel "Fighterbomber", which is close to the Russian air force, later confirmed the loss of a Su-30SM in a recent mission. The Ukrainian military portal Militarnyi reported these incidents involving the 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment.
[1] Source: Militarnyi [2] Source: The Telegram channel "Fighterbomber"
- In light of the continuous conflict in Ukraine, concerns about the employment policy within the Russian Black Sea Fleet, particularly regarding the 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment, have escalated, given the significant losses incurred by the unit, including seven destroyed and two damaged Su-30SM jets.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, as well as the recent political tensions, have poured over into the general news, with frequent reports highlighting the losses by the Russian Black Sea Fleet's 43rd Naval Assault Aviation Regiment, such as the destruction of five Su-24 bombers since 2022.
