Reviewing Ukraine's special operations against Russia over past year

Some of these operations were publicly acknowledged, so we know they were carried out by the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Special Operations Forces, or sometimes by them working together. However, there are other operations where we can only guess which Ukrainian security forces were involved.

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko has looked at both the confirmed operations and those still in question, wondering who might be behind them.

Destruction of A-50U

The year 2024 started with a series of successful operations targeting A-50U, Il-22, and Tu-22M3 aircraft. This was a joint effort by Ukrainian security agencies, following careful preparation. The result was the destruction of key Russian aircraft that the Russian military-industrial complex cannot currently replace.

What made this operation particularly significant, aside from its complexity and impact on the battlefield, is that it marked the first time in history that a long-range radar detection aircraft was destroyed in a war. For Russia, this was a major blow, as it meant the loss and grounding of A-50 aircraft in high-risk areas.

Drone strikes deep into Russia

In 2024, while Russian forces were using Shahed-136 drones to target Ukraine’s civilians and energy infrastructure, Ukraine's security forces were focused on hitting Russian military targets, military-industrial facilities, and related enterprises.

This year, the strikes on Russian oil refineries and depots stand out, significantly affecting Russia's economy and itsability to supply fuel to its military.

The most notable operation was carried out by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence to strike a radar station in Orsk, in the Orenburg region.

What made this operation stand out was that the target was 1800 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, setting a new record for strike range. The target was the unique Voronezh-M radar, a long-range system used for missile warning. Its main job was to detect launches of enemy ballistic nuclear missiles.

Carrying out such a complex operation not only disabled a unique radar station, which may be hard to repair but also showed once again how weak Russia's air defense is.

Another notable event was the Ukrainian drone strike on the Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan region, nearly 600 kilometers from the front line. 

Akhtubinsk was home to the rare Su-57 fighters, which Russian propaganda calls "fifth-generation" jets. The strike destroyed one of these fighters and damaged another.

Operations in Black Sea and beyond

In 2024, there were numerous operations in the Black Sea, including drone strikes against the remaining Russian Black Sea Fleet. Notable events included the sinking of the missile boat Ivanovets on February 1, the attack on the Caesar Kunikov on February 14, and the attack on the Yamal on March 22. There were also special operations at the Boyko Towers.

Among all these operations, the strike on the Caspian Flotilla on November 6 stands out as truly unique. What makes it special is that Ukrainian special forces reached the faraway Caspian Sea, broke through Russia's layered defense, and hit warships docked at the port.

Elimination of war criminals

In 2024, there were several incidents involving collaborators, traitors, and war criminals. Some were blown up in their cars, others fell from windows, were shot in parks, or even blew up while riding electric scooters.

On December 16, the Security Service of Ukraine issued a notice of suspicion against Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, responsible for the use of banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces. Just a day later, on December 17, the war criminal was eliminated.

The day before, on December 12, Mikhail Shatsky, deputy head of the Mars Design Bureau and head of the software department responsible for developing the Kh-59/69 air-to-surface missiles used in strikes on Ukraine, was eliminated in Moscow.