Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (GUR) has released footage showing its drones destroying two Russian helicopters at Simferopol airbase, along with a strike against a tugboat.
The video, published on August 31, corresponds with a drone attack carried out on the morning of August 30 that triggered a large fire at the facility.
Earlier, satellite images circulated online revealed scorch marks on the tarmac at Simferopol, confirming the destruction of a Mi-8 transport helicopter and a Mi-24 attack helicopter. The imagery, released by open-source monitoring groups, matched reports from Russian tracking channels, which documented drone activity approaching the area that morning.
The attack, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence, resulted in damage to parked aircraft and secondary fires that spread across the airfield. The footage showed drones striking with precision before explosions and fires engulfed the helicopters.
Open-source assessments have connected the success of these operations to sustained Ukrainian strikes against Russian radar and air defense systems in Crimea. Observers noted that repeated attacks on radar stations and surface-to-air missile sites, often carried out by similar drones equipped with Starlink-enabled communications, have eroded Russia’s ability to effectively counter incoming threats.
The report said these conditions are allowing Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles to penetrate deeper into Crimean airspace, reaching heavily protected military installations such as Simferopol.
The August 30 attack is part of a broader Ukrainian campaign aimed at degrading Russian aviation assets in occupied Crimea. Over recent months, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted airbases, fuel depots, and naval facilities on the peninsula, forcing Russian forces to disperse their aircraft and tighten defenses.
For Ukraine, the release of combat footage serves both as confirmation of battlefield effects and as a demonstration of evolving tactics that combine intelligence, surveillance, and strike operations against Russian forces. By publicizing evidence of destroyed aircraft, Kyiv underscores its ability to impose costs on Russia’s military presence in occupied territory.