Ukraine hits An-72P patrol jet at Crimea air base

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said its units, working with military intelligence, struck Kirovske airfield in occupied Crimea overnight on April 2, destroying a Russian An-72P patrol aircraft and a site used to prepare Orion strike and reconnaissance drones for missions.

The strike was carried out by the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces together with the 9th Department of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR), according to the statement. The target was described as a base and pre-flight preparation point for Russia’s Orion unmanned aerial vehicles, one of Moscow’s higher-value long-endurance drone platforms.

The attack reportedly hit Kirovske airfield near Krasnosilske in Crimea, where Ukrainian officials said the site was destroyed. The location had been used to support operations involving Orion drones, which Russia has used for both reconnaissance and strike missions.

The Orion is a long-range unmanned combat aerial vehicle capable of remaining in the air for up to 24 hours. The system can reportedly operate at a depth of 250 to 300 kilometers and carry up to 250 kilograms of weapons, including missiles and bombs, while flying at altitudes of up to 7.5 kilometers.

Ukraine said the strike was conducted using Ukrainian-made FP-2 middle-strike systems, equipped with warheads weighing 60 to 100 kilograms.

Among the assets reportedly destroyed was the An-72P, a specialized patrol aircraft developed from the An-72 transport platform for Soviet border forces and later used by Russia’s Federal Security Service.

The aircraft is intended for maritime border security, patrol missions, and airborne deployment tasks. It first flew in 1984 and remained in serial production until 2002. The An-72P is armed with a 23 mm GSh-23L cannon, can carry unguided rocket pods and bombs, and is capable of transporting 22 airborne troops.

Russia has also used the aircraft in missions related to countering maritime drones, which have become an increasingly important element of Ukraine’s operations in the Black Sea.

The attack highlights Kyiv’s continued focus on Russian aviation infrastructure on the peninsula, where airfields remain key hubs for drone operations, reconnaissance flights, and support missions tied to combat activity in southern Ukraine and the Black Sea.