--- title: "Sabotage Attack On Russian Su-30 Fighters Shown In Video" description: "The attack was executed by \"Russian partisans,\" Ukraine claims, and happened 200 miles from the border. The apparent sabotage action, 200 miles from the Ukrainian border, comes after a string of drone strikes on Russian jets." date: "2025-12-22" modified: "2025-12-22" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/sabotage-attack-on-russian-su-30-fighters-shown-in-video" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Fighters" - "Flankers" - "News & Features" - "Russia" - "Russian Air Force" - "Su-30" - "Ukraine" --- # Sabotage Attack On Russian Su-30 Fighters Shown In Video ![Two Russian Flanker series fighter jets have been damaged in an overnight arson attack on the military airfield at Lipetsk in the region of the same name in southwest Russia. According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), the raid was launched by “a representative of the resistance movement in Russia.” If that’s the case, it underscores the varied tactics being used to strike Russian military aircraft on their bases, coming soon after two separate drone attacks on Belbek Air Base in Russian-occupied Crimea.]() *YouTube screencap* Two Russian [Su-30 Flanker]() multirole fighters have been damaged in an overnight arson attack on the military airfield at Lipetsk in the region of the same name in southwest Russia. According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), the raid was launched by “a representative of the resistance movement in Russia.” If that’s the case, it underscores the varied tactics being used to strike Russian military aircraft on their bases, coming soon after two separate [drone attacks on Belbek Air Base]() in Russian-occupied Crimea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuhoJDdaas https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/2002998169853178228?s=20 In its initial statement, the GUR said that a Russian Su-30 Flanker multirole fighter and a [Su-27 Flanker]() interceptor were damaged in a fire at Lipetsk Air Base (also known as Lipetsk-2) on the night of December 20-21. The agency [later clarified]() that both targeted aircraft were two-seat, more advanced Su-30s. ![Russian servicemen prepare a Russian air force Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jet before a departure for a mission at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on December 16, 2015. - Russia began its air war in Syria on September 30, conducting air strikes against a range of anti-regime armed groups including US-backed rebels and jihadist groups. Moscow has said it is fighting and other "terrorist groups," but its campaign has come under fire by Western officials who accuse the Kremlin of seeking to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Photo by Paul GYPTEAU / AFP) (Photo by PAUL GYPTEAU/AFP via Getty Images)]() *Servicemen prepare a Russian Su-30SM fighter before a a mission at the Russian Khmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on December 16, 2015. *Photo by PAUL GYPTEAU/AFP via Getty Images* PAUL GYPTEAU* While the GUR claims that it masterminded the operation, which required two weeks of planning, the agency also says that the sabotage was “directly implemented by a representative of the resistance movement to the criminal Russian regime.” In a statement, the GUR explained: “Studying the patrol route and guard change schedule allowed them to infiltrate the aggressor state’s military facility unnoticed, hit the Russian jets in their protective aircraft hangar, and then leave the airfield unhindered.” The GUR has released [a video]() that purports to show the attack, which it describes as the result of “careful preparation, composure, and professionalism.” The airbase is located around 200 miles from the Ukrainian border. ![]() *Fire starts on the main undercarriage leg of a Su-30SM. *YouTube screencap** ![]() *Fire spreads to the engine intake of the Su-30SM. *YouTube screencap** The footage includes a view inside the cockpit of an apparent Su-30SM, as well as a fire being started at one of the main undercarriage legs of the same type of jet, which then spreads to engulf one of the engine intakes. One Su-30SM is also armed with underwing air-to-air missiles. Clearly visible is one of the canard foreplanes on the Flanker, confirming it is a Su-30SM, rather than a Su-27UB or a Su-30M2. Also seen in the video are close-ups of the aircraft’s individual red-painted ‘Bort’ numbers, ‘12’ and ‘82.’ ![]() **YouTube screencap** ![]() **YouTube screencap** The GUR puts the estimated total cost of the two affected fighters as “up to $100 million,” although this is presumably based on them being totally written off, something which remains unclear. Indeed, the agency only states that the jets were “disabled.” Ukrainian [media reports]() also state that the aircraft were “put out of action,” but once again we don’t have any concrete evidence about their current state. Lipetsk Air Base has a very significant role within the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). ![]() *The approximate location of Lipetsk Air Base. *Google Earth** The 4th State Air Personnel Preparation and Military Evaluation Center at the base is tasked with conducting military evaluation of initial batches of new tactical combat aircraft, training pilots in the combat application of the aircraft, and developing air force tactics, which are then used by operational units. ![]() *A satellite image of Lipetsk Air Base, dated 2024. *Google Earth** At Lipetsk, the 4th Center is responsible for the 968th Research Instructor Composite Aviation Regiment (968 IISAP, in Russian), which receives the first batches of new tactical aircraft. The regiment was first to receive the Su-34 Fullback, in 2010, the Yak-130 Mitten, in 2013, the Su-30SM Flanker, in 2014, and the Su-35S Flanker, in 2019. It was to also[ the first to receive Su-57 Felon fighters](), so that pilots could undergo theoretical training on the new type. ![]() *Four Su-57s (and four Flanker-series jets) on the Lipetsk flight line, in May 2025. *Google Earth** The regiment has squadrons of Sukhoi fighters (Su-27, Su-30SM, and Su-35S), tactical bombers (Su-24 Fencer and Su-34) and attack aircraft (Su-25 Frogfoot), as well as a detachment of An-26 Curl transport aircraft. Lipetsk Air Base has two runways; the main runway is around 9,800 feet long, while the second, shorter runway has long been unused and is used for storage of several dozen MiG-29 Fulcrums, and smaller numbers of [MiG-31 Foxhounds](), and Su-27s. ![]() The video evidence available suggests that at least the Su-30SM that was targeted was very much an active aircraft, based on its armament as well as its relative modernity. There is also [a strong suggestion]() that the aircraft targeted were part of the VKS effort to combat Ukrainian long-range one-way attack drones, including those headed toward Moscow. Su-30SMs ‘Red 82’ and ‘Red 12’ belong to the 14th and 31st Fighter Aviation Regiments, not normally based at Lipetsk. The presence of these jets at the base, at least one of them armed with air-to-air missiles, would be consistent with a forward deployment for quick reaction alert (QRA) duties. ![]() *A burning Su-30SM with R-73/74 series air-to-air missiles below the wing. *YouTube screencap** This would not be the first time that a Russian airbase has been targeted by pro-Ukrainian or Ukrainian saboteurs. In the aftermath of reported explosions at Russian airbases in occupied Crimea, in the summer of 2022 — most dramatically, the [blasts at Saki Air Base]() that left at least 10 jets seriously damaged or destroyed — there were reports citing Ukrainian officials claiming that a team, possibly made up of Ukrainian special operations forces, local partisans, or a mixture of both, had attacked the installations. In October 2022, [we reported on an apparent sabotage raid]() against a Russian airbase in the Pskov region, in the far west of the country. This was filmed by the operatives before they detonated explosives placed on attack helicopters at Ostrov Air Base. The explosions destroyed two [Ka-52s]() and one [Mi-28N](), according to the Ukrainian defense intelligence service. https://twitter.com/PolymarketIntel/status/1587182889002827780 In May 2023, meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) [confirmed a sabotage attack]() against a Russian strike or reconnaissance aircraft at an aircraft factory in Siberia. This was reportedly an arson attack, although it’s unclear if the aircraft in question was actually airworthy at the time. In September 2023, there were reports that one of Russia’s most important airbases, Chkalovsky, located less than 20 miles from Moscow, [was struck by saboteurs](). In a statement on the raid, the GUR said that “unidentified saboteurs” were responsible for the attack on what it described as a “heavily guarded airfield,” which left three aircraft “badly damaged.” ![]() *A satellite image supposedly taken of Chkalovsky Air Base after a 2023 sabotage raid. It’s not possible to confirm whether some of the aircraft shown were indeed attacked, let alone to determine the level of damage. *Ukrainian government** [As we have noted in the past](), the ability of saboteurs to penetrate frontline Russian airbases clearly points to major security loopholes. On the other hand, even Russian airbases housing other *strategic* assets have been subject to incursions in the recent past, [by apparent criminal elements](), while other airfields have been penetrated by drunken soldiers [in command of an armored vehicle](), for example. What remains far less clear, and something we are unlikely to learn more about for the foreseeable future, is how the Ukrainian military and intelligence services [work or at least coordinate]() with partisans in Russia. We do know that Ukraine conducts extensive activities, including sabotage efforts, in areas of the country that Russia occupies, as well as inside Russia proper. Most prominent was this summer’s [Operation Spiderweb](), the large-scale Ukrainian drone strike against airbases across Russia, which you can read about in our coverage [here](). This used more than a hundred short-range drones that were launched from trucks against at least four bomber airfields. In recent days, there have been other notable attacks on VKS aircraft by Ukrainian using drones, too. [As we reported last week](), [Belbek Air Base](), a key Russian facility in occupied Crimea, was targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike on December 18, according to Ukraine. Authorities in Kyiv claim that drones hit a MiG-31BM, as well as elements of an [S-400]() air defense system. https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/2001613201578901944 The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the government’s main internal security agency, reported that the Belbek drone strike was carried out overnight by forces from its Special Group “Alpha.” Just two days later, “Alpha” [was reportedly responsible]() for another drone strike on Belbek. This time, the SBU said its operatives hit two Su-27s. Like the MiG-31, these were also parked out in the open. ![]() *An SBU composite image shows drone strikes at Belbek alongside Soviet-era Su-27s. *SBU** Whatever the results of the apparent partisan raid on Lipetsk, the operation once again highlights the fact that Russian military aircraft and other assets are not safe, even if relatively far from the Ukrainian battlefields, and that drones are by no means the only threat they face. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()