Be-12 strike: Ukraine hits Russian aircraft in Crimea

Ukraine says it carried out a Be-12 strike on Russian amphibious planes in occupied Crimea.

Ukrainian military intelligence reported on September 22, 2025 that its special unit Prymary struck two Russian-operated Be-12 Chayka amphibious aircraft at a base in occupied Crimea on September 21, 2025. The agency described the attack as the first-ever successful strike on the Be-12 type, an amphibious patrol and anti-submarine aircraft historically used by Russian naval aviation.

The incident highlights growing military aviation activity and risk across the Black Sea region. Ukraine’s statement did not release detailed imagery or casualty figures; independent verification by international media or open-source analysts has not been provided in the initial bulletin.

What the Be-12 strike means for the Black Sea

The Be-12 strike underlines how both sides are targeting aviation assets ashore and afloat. Damaging maritime patrol planes can constrain long-range surveillance, search-and-rescue coverage and anti-submarine patrol routines — functions the Be-12 (Chaika, meaning “seagull”) has performed since the Cold War.

• Confirmed: two Russian Be-12 Chayka amphibious aircraft struck at a Crimea base on September 21, 2025 — per Ukrainian military intelligence.
• Operator: Russian naval aviation (Russian-operated aircraft), reported by Ukraine on September 22, 2025.
• Unit: Prymary special forces unit carried out the operation, according to the intelligence statement.

Analysts say targeting older but specialized platforms like the Be-12 can have outsized operational effects despite the aircraft’s limited numbers. The move also raises the temperature for air and sea operations in the region as NATO and regional states continue to monitor activity off Crimea and across the Black Sea.

Ukraine provided the initial report on September 22, 2025; follow-up confirmations, satellite imagery or independent field reporting would be needed to fully corroborate damage assessments and operational impact. For now, the Be-12 strike is a notable escalation point in a longer pattern of focused attacks on aviation infrastructure.

Sources

• Ukrainian military intelligence report (September 22, 2025)