On the morning of September 22, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (GUR) said it carried out a successful strike on an airfield in occupied Crimea, destroying two Be-12 Chaika amphibious aircraft and a Mi-8 helicopter. Hours later, a video appeared on a Telegram channel showing the aftermath.
“They hit Crimea again. Minus helicopters and something else I can’t write about. Air defenses are absent and the radar is worthless,” the post says.
In the footage, a man shows a burned Mi-8 helicopter and another without visible damage, then says parts from other aircraft are scattered around the site. At one point, he says the fuselage “got stuck in a tree.”
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said it conducted the operation overnight into September 22, 2025, in temporarily occupied Crimea. Two Be-12 Chaika amphibious aircraft and a Mi-8 multirole helicopter were destroyed.
Ukraine continues to target Russian military assets in Crimea. On September 21, the GUR special unit “Primari” destroyed two Be-12 “Chaika” amphibious anti-submarine aircraft and hit a Mi-8 multi-role helicopter, GUR said.
On the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence special forces conducted what it called a successful operation: two Be-12 “Chaika” anti-submarine amphibious planes were destroyed and a Mi-8 helicopter was struck.
The agency called the event historic, noting Russian Be-12s had not previously come under attack. The loss of two such aircraft is significant, it said: the amphibious planes carry expensive equipment designed to detect and engage submarines and have played an important role in monitoring the Black Sea region.
In addition to the planes, a Mi-8 helicopter—widely used by Russian forces to move personnel and support combat operations—was hit during the raid.
GUR stressed that the fight continues and said such operations show Ukraine’s ability to conduct precise, effective strikes against Russian military hardware deep inside occupied territory.
On September 21, GUR also reported strikes that hit three Mi-8 helicopters and a Nebo-U radar station in occupied Crimea.
Also on Sunday, September 21, explosions struck the grounds of the Foros sanatorium in Crimea in a drone attack. According to Russian media, Russian President Vladimir Putin has vacationed there multiple times, and the site is referred to as an “FSB dacha” or a “government facility.”
