Historic destruction of Russian Su-30SM jets and Ukraine's new Kursk incursion. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Destruction of Russian Su-30SM in the Black Sea

We’re summing up Monday events, but there are historic developments from the weekend, including new details about the May 3 nighttime destruction of two Russian Su-30SM jets by missiles launched from Ukrainian naval drones. The strike occurred near Novorossiysk, where Russia keeps what’s left of its Black Sea Fleet. To carry out the ambush, the drones bypassed all of Crimea. Russian pilots thought they were hunting Ukrainian drones - but in reality, it was the other way around.

This is a video from Group 13 with the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, capturing one stage of the destruction of the Russian Su-30 jets. It shows the electro-optical system on a naval drone first scanning the area. Then, the missile’s seeker locks onto the aircraft, followed by the launch, a direct hit, and the jet crashing into the Black Sea.

This situation is entirely new and highly intriguing. On May 4, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, revealed new details about what happened over the Black Sea. In an interview with the U.S. outlet The War Zone, he revealed that Ukrainian forces used naval drones in the strike - but not the commonly known Magura V5s. Instead, they deployed the larger Magura V7 unmanned surface vessels. For the first time, these drones carried not Ukrainian or Soviet R-73 missiles, like those used to shoot down two Mi-8 helicopters in December, but American AIM-9 air-to-air missiles, specially adapted to target aircraft from this new type of missile boat drone.

Kyrylo Budanov emphasized that this is truly a historic event - and that’s absolutely true. Never before have unmanned naval platforms destroyed fighter jets during an active conflict or combat operation. This marks the first documented case that clearly demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to carry out technological, asymmetric actions aimed at reducing Russia’s military potential. It’s likely that this story will continue to evolve in various dimensions.

Frontline update

On May 3 and 4, combat activity along the entire front line surged. On May 3 alone, Ukrainian forces recorded nearly 253 Russian assaults - the third-highest daily number this year. Most of the fighting took place in the Pokrovsk direction, with additional clashes reported in the Kursk region, where key developments are currently unfolding.

A few days ago, Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that the Kursk region had been fully cleared of Ukrainian forces. However, Ukrainian control remains in some areas. On May 5, new reports emerged that the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out a cross-border attack in the Kursk region, breaching border fortifications near Tiotkino from two directions - close to the villages of Novy Put and Zoria. These areas lie in the Glushkovsky district, roughly 60 km from the Sudzha district, where earlier fighting had taken place.

The operation unfolded in a familiar pattern: engineering vehicles cleared paths through Russian fortifications, while motorized units advanced. Prior to this, artillery strikes were carried out, including attacks on Russian bridges in the Glushkovsky district over the Seim River. These actions have significantly hindered Russia's ability to move forces and equipment in the area.

The goal is to block and create conditions that would force Russia to redeploy part of its forces to this section of the front. Moreover, this is happening on the eve of the so-called Victory Day celebrations. These actions have both political and military dimensions, as Russia will inevitably have to shift troops to a region where, due to geographic and infrastructure constraints, advancing will be extremely difficult. This story, too, is likely to continue unfolding.

On May 5, Ukraine's top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed that the operation in the Kursk region had successfully fulfilled all its missions over the course of nine months. He highlighted that the use of unconventional solutions and approaches played a key role in ensuring the destruction of Russian forces, even on their own territory.

Pokrovsk direction

Next, let’s discuss the Pokrovsk direction, where about half of all attacks took place on May 3–4. Russian forces are attempting to advance toward Pokrovsk from both the western and eastern flanks. There are certain areas where Russian troops have managed to make progress. On the western flank, they are making efforts to reach the administrative borders with the Dnipropetrovsk region, and they are partly succeeding. Several Ukrainian brigades are holding defense in this direction, one of which is the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of Unmanned Systems.

Yuriy Melnyk, commander of the second battalion of the 59th Separate Mechanized Brigade operating in the Pokrovsk direction, reported that Russian troops are using a variety of tactics to try and break through Ukrainian defenses. According to him, the Russian army is employing camouflage methods like raincoats to avoid detection. In response, the brigade is actively using quadcopters — which they are currently fundraising for — to locate enemy movements. Melnyk noted that in recent days, Russian forces have been operating mostly on foot, motorcycles, light armored vehicles, and civilian cars, avoiding the use of heavy equipment.

Ukraine Russia war live map, April 25 - May 3, Photo: Espreso

The officer noted that Russian troops are using raincoats for camouflage and trying to advance under cover of darkness or in gray zones. Only quadcopters equipped with thermal imaging can reliably detect and target them. He added that they are actively using these cloaks and have, at times, managed to get dangerously close. However, Ukrainian drone operators have adapted, learning to recognize subtle changes in the terrain that signal enemy movement.

Ukraine Russia war live map, April 25 - May 3, Photo: Espreso

The commander emphasized ongoing coordination with neighboring battalions, noting that all units share the same goal - to effectively destroy the enemy and exchange technologies and proven tactics. He highlighted the high effectiveness of drones, saying modern combat takes place both on the ground and in the air. Drones conduct high-altitude reconnaissance, locate enemy positions, and help shape kill zones. While a perfect kill zone is impossible, he said, it can be closely approximated by increasing the number of surveillance and strike tools. The denser the observation coverage, the more effective the kill zone becomes.

The serviceman added that the brigade uses fiber-optic drones, and there are many aspects that cannot be disclosed at this time. Nevertheless, the brigade is actively building up and working in this direction.

Melnyk mentioned an initiative from the Ministry of Digital Transformation, where drones are awarded points depending on the type of target they destroy. And then these points can be converted into the supply of certain scarce models of equipment and weapons to the brigade. The 59th Brigade joined this program back in 2024 and has already received some equipment, and continues to receive it today. This is a pretty good and interesting program, which is effective and motivating for the drone operators themselves to receive rare equipment from the Ministry of Digital Transformation.