Ukraine’s elite SBU Alpha unit has released footage claiming that long-range drone strikes in 2025 successfully targeted five Russian airfields, destroying 15 aircraft and causing an estimated $1 billion in damage. The video, which includes FPV and thermal footage, shows multiple precise hits on 11 fighters and bombers, including Su-30SMs, Su-34s, Su-27s, Su-24s, and MiG-31s, as well as three helicopters—Mi-28, Mi-26, and Mi-8—and one transport plane, the An-26.  

According to the Ukrainian release, these strikes highlight tactical vulnerabilities in Russia’s dispersed air assets, providing both a strategic blow to Russian air capabilities and a morale boost to Ukrainian forces. The footage emphasizes the effectiveness of long-range drone attacks in striking high-value targets with precision, underscoring Ukraine’s continued emphasis on unmanned systems to counter conventional Russian military strengths.  

Analysts note that the strikes demonstrate the potential impact of asymmetric tactics, showing that carefully coordinated drone operations can neutralize expensive aircraft and infrastructure while limiting Ukrainian exposure to counterattacks. The visual documentation of explosions, structural damage, and destroyed aircraft further strengthens Ukraine’s narrative of resilience and technological capability amid the ongoing conflict.  

While independent verification of the claims remains limited due to restricted access to operational areas, the footage has circulated widely, drawing attention from international observers and defense analysts, and reinforcing Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to modernize its military tactics with precision strike technology.