What happened

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said its drones struck Belbek airfield near Sevastopol in occupied Crimea overnight on 18 December 2025, destroying or damaging two Nebo-SVU long-range radar systems (estimated $60-100 million each), a 92N6 radar for the S-400 air-defense system ($30-60 million), a Pantsir-S2 air-defense system ($12-19 million), and a fully armed MiG-31 fighter jet ($30-50 million). The SBU, via Telegram, put the total loss at hundreds of millions of dollars and described the operation as 'a direct hit on the enemy's air defense capabilities' protecting major military and logistical facilities in Crimea. No casualties were reported. The reviewed reporting relies on the SBU's own claim, without independent satellite-imagery confirmation found. This record introduces a distinct Belbek-airfield strike to the site's airbase/airport-strike coverage, separate from the previously recorded Saky-airfield entries, added following the extension of the backfill window to three years.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.