Strana 46
Kyiv, where four people were killed, including
a 12-year-old girl. The Cardiology Institute
in Kyiv was also hit, killing one patient and
a nurse and injuring 70 others.
The Battle for Fuel Continues
During the observed period, Ukraine
continued its attacks on Russia’s oil industry,
which we covered in detail in the previous
installment. Over three months (July, August,
September), Ukrainian drones carried out
34 attacks on refineries (some of them
multiple times). Between September 1 and 30,
Ukrainians struck refineries 13 times. The Ilsky
refinery was targeted twice, Saratov twice,
and Salavat refinery in distant Bashkortostan
twice as well.
In addition to refineries, Ukrainians targeted
other facilities in Russia’s oil and gas industry,
which finances the Kremlin’s war. A significant
drone raid hit Primorsk near St. Petersburg,
damaging an oil export terminal, pumping
stations, and two oil tankers.
On Wednesday, September 24, Ukrainian
naval and aerial drones attacked Russian Black
Sea ports. Russia claimed to have neutralized
at least five naval drones in Novorossiysk.
Aerial drones damaged port infrastructure
and started fires. In Tuapse, at least one naval
drone penetrated the harbor (as confirmed by
Russian videos) and exploded on a pier. Tuapse
is also used for exporting Russian oil and gas.
Altogether, by the end of September,
Ukrainian attacks had knocked out 40 percent
of Russia’s fuel production. This caused
growing gasoline shortages at fuel stations
across many Russian regions.
Losses on Land and in the Air
Besides targeting oil infrastructure,
Ukrainian drones also struck Russian radar
systems and airfields in Crimea, gradually
degrading the peninsula’s air defenses. Several
helicopters and aircraft were destroyed on the
ground.
On Sunday, September 21, Ukrainian FPV
drones attacked a Nebo-U radar, two Mi-8
helicopters at a former border guard training
base in Shkilne, and another Mi-8 at the
Simferopol airfield. Videos of the attacks were
released by Ukraine’s military intelligence
agency (GUR). Satellite images and Russian
footage confirmed that one helicopter in
Shkilne burned completely, most likely
belonging to the FSB Border Service. The fate
of the other two helicopters is unclear.
On Monday, September 22, GUR released
a video of another FPV drone strike — this time
on Kača airbase in Crimea, targeting one Mi-8
helicopter and two Beriev Be-12 amphibious
aircraft. The Be-12s were developed in the
1950s, but a few remain in service. After
Russia’s 2022 invasion, reports suggested
they were used for patrolling the Black Sea
to detect Ukrainian naval drones. The aircraft
in the video appeared derelict — one lacked
a propeller. One Be-12 bore the number 08 on
its fuselage. In the footage, the attacking drone
seems to dive toward the ground in front of the
plane, but the operator corrected its course at
the last moment, and it apparently struck the
side of the fuselage near the landing gear.
The third consecutive successful night for
GUR came on Tuesday, September 23, when
Kača airbase was again targeted. An Antonov
An-26, registration RF-46878, fuselage code
“Blue 30,” belonging to the 318th Independent
Composite Aviation Regiment of the Russian
Naval Air Force, was completely destroyed.
The aircraft burned out after the strike. Another
FPV drone targeted a second An-26, but the
result of that attack remains unconfirmed.
The unfavorable chain of events for the
Russian Air Force continued on Thursday,
September 25, when a Su-34 fighter-bomber
was shot down near the village of Vasylivka
in the Zaporizhzhia region. One of the two
crew members was killed. Russian channels
identified him only by his first name, Yevgeny.
A spectacular feat was achieved by
a Ukrainian FPV drone operator on Monday,
September 29, who struck a Russian Mi-8
helicopter in flight near the village of Nadiivka
in the Donetsk region. Some media reported
this as the first such case in history, though
Ukrainians had previously hit several Russian
helicopters with drones — some were only
damaged, but at least one crashed after
being hit. That was the case this time as well.
Russian sources reported that pilot Lt. Mikhail
Avramenko attempted an emergency landing
in the burning helicopter to save his crew.
However, videos show the helicopter hitting
the ground at high speed in flames, with the
wreck sliding for dozens or even hundreds
of meters. In the end, two crew members
survived with injuries, while Avramenko and
seven passengers were killed.
Russia also lost another aircraft in an
accident during this period — at Kubinka Air
Base, a Su-30SM or Su-35 fighter crashed
during landing. The pilot, a colonel in the
Russian Air Force, suffered severe injuries.
On the Ukrainian side, one combat loss was
confirmed during this period. On Thursday,
September 11, in the afternoon, a Su-27
fighter was shot down near Dobropillia in
the Zaporizhzhia region. It was piloted by
Major Oleksandr Borovyk of the 39th Tactical
Aviation Brigade. He did not survive the crash.
On Wednesday, September 24, Russia
launched a strike on the Kamyanka air base
in Dnipro, destroying several light aircraft
shelters. It is not known whether any aircraft
were inside at the time.
UKRAJINA
One of the Russian Mi-8 helicopters attacked by Ukrainian FPV drones on September 21.
During the September 22 attack, this Be-12
seaplane, number 08, was also targeted.
View from the attacking FPV drone heading towards
the second Be-12. Note that the seaplane is missing
one propeller.
Attack on a Russian Mi-8 helicopter at the Kača
air base in Crimea on September 22.
INFO Eduard46
November 2025