Fire at Russian Lipetsk airbase destroys Su-30, Su-27 jets

On the night of December 20–21, a fire broke out at a Russian military airbase near Lipetsk, destroying two fighter jets, a Su-30 and a Su-27.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) stated on Telegram that the operation was carried out by a representative of the resistance movement against the Russian regime, Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the agency’s statement, as a result of the GUR operation, both military aircraft were put out of action.

“The estimated combined value of the two targeted jets, used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, could reach up to $100 million.

The Su-27 and Su-30, with tail numbers “12” and “82,” were destroyed thanks to careful planning and professional execution. The special operation at the Lipetsk airbase took two weeks to plan,” the statement read.

The Sukhoi Su‑27 “Flanker” is a twin‑engine, long‑range air‑superiority fighter developed by the Soviet Sukhoi design bureau in the 1970s–1980s to counter Western fighters and gain control of the skies; it entered service in 1985 and remains in service with Russia and several former Soviet states.

Its design emphasises high manoeuvrability, powerful radar, and a large payload of air‑to‑air missiles and a 30 mm cannon, with the capability to fly over Mach 2 and operate at very high altitudes.

The Sukhoi Su‑30 is a twin‑engine, two‑seat multirole fighter developed from the Su‑27 family in the late 1980s, with its first flight in 1989 and service entry in the early 1990s, designed for air‑to‑air dominance as well as air‑to‑surface missions under all weather conditions.

It combines flight‑control systems and avionics that allow both pilots to coordinate complex combat tasks, with a heavy weapons load and extended range compared to its Su‑27 predecessor.

By Jeyhun Aghazada