Russia reportedly loses three aircraft and seven crew defending St. Petersburg from drones
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Russia reportedly lost three military aircraft and seven crew members while attempting to repel a Ukrainian drone attack near St. Petersburg, with Russian military aviation channels mourning fatalities and conflicting accounts emerging over which aircraft were involved.
The reported losses came during an overnight assault on November 10–11 that also triggered fires at Ust-Luga, a major Russian Baltic Sea export hub. Neither the full aircraft tally nor the circumstances of the reported crashes have been independently confirmed.
Russian accounts have pointed to Ka-52 attack helicopters and a Mi-8 transport helicopter. Other reports identify a MiG-31 interceptor among the losses, although the aircraft types remain disputed.
The pro-war Fighterbomber Telegram channel said defending the skies over St. Petersburg had cost Russia “very, very, very dearly,” posting a tribute to fallen aviators.
Russian aviation channels mourn crews after St. Petersburg drone attack
Ukraine’s overnight attack on November 10–11 targeted Ust-Luga, one of Russia’s main Baltic Sea export hubs. Footage showed fires at the port, while NASA’s FIRMS satellite fire-monitoring system detected hotspots in the area.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) also said its drones struck the Naro-Fominsk, a Buyan-M-class missile corvette. The extent of the reported damage to the vessel has not been independently confirmed.
Reports of Russian aviation losses emerged after the pro-war Fighterbomber Telegram channel posted a tribute to fallen aircrew.
“Today’s defense of the skies over St. Petersburg against a drone attack has cost us dearly. Very, very, very dearly. May you fly eternally, brothers…” the channel wrote.
Fighterbomber is associated with Ilya Tumanov, a former Russian military aviator whose channel frequently reports on the country’s air force. His post did not identify the aircraft involved or explain how the crews died.
Other Russian aviation channels subsequently published tributes, including an image of a Ka-52 attack helicopter. The Voevoda Veshchaet channel reported the deaths of three crews, totalling seven personnel.
Which Russian aircraft were reportedly lost?
The aircraft types remain disputed. Reports have named Ka-52 attack helicopters and a Mi-8 transport helicopter, while other accounts have included a MiG-31 interceptor.
Ukrainian defence publication Militarnyi, drawing on Russian Telegram channels, assessed that the losses likely involved two Ka-52s and one Mi-8. That combination would account for seven crew members: two aboard each Ka-52 and three aboard the Mi-8.
⚡️❗️It seems we finally know which three Russian aircraft were lost over Leningrad Oblast while repelling today’s Ukrainian drone attack: Ka-52 — 2 crew members Mi-8 — 3 crew members MiG-31 — 2 crew members All seven crew members died. The more details emerge, the more baffling this incident becomes. How did Russia manage to lose three aircraft at the same time during a drone attack, and how did every single crew member aboard all three aircraft end up dead?
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) November 11, 2026
A different breakdown circulated by Ukrainian open-source intelligence account Special Kherson Cat identified one Ka-52, one Mi-8 and one MiG-31. That would also total seven crew members, meaning the reported death toll alone cannot resolve the conflicting aircraft identifications.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has not confirmed the reported aircraft losses. The SBU, meanwhile, said information about the destruction of Russian combat helicopters was being verified.
AGN has previously reported on Russia’s use of aircraft and helicopters to intercept Ukrainian long-range drones. Such missions extend the demands on Russian aviation beyond operations near the front, requiring crews and aircraft to defend infrastructure deep inside the country.
If confirmed, the loss of three aircraft and their crews during a single overnight drone attack would underline the risks involved in those defensive missions. It would not, by itself, establish that Ukrainian drones directly shot them down.
What caused the reported Russian aircraft losses?
The circumstances remain unclear. Russian military bloggers have discussed possible friendly fire or a collision, but no publicly verified evidence establishes what happened.
In its November 11 assessment, the Institute for the Study of War said it had not observed footage of the alleged incidents or information confirming the total number of helicopters lost. Ukraine’s Security Service also said information about the destruction of Russian combat helicopters was being verified.
