Ukraine’s elite HUR Prymary special operations unit, known as the Ghosts, executed eight precision drone strikes across occupied Crimea over two weeks ending in early December 2025. These attacks destroyed fighter jets, radars, a drone, and logistics assets, inflicting over $80 million in damage and exposing gaps in Russian defenses.
What Happened: Eight Strikes in 14 Days
In a coordinated campaign announced on December 5, the Ghosts targeted eight sites, dismantling key elements of Russia’s air defense network. Hits included a Su-24 bomber, an Orion UAV, three radars—two Podlet-K1 and one rare 39N6 Kasta-2E2—antennas, a freight train, and a Ural truck. The operation, spanning 14 days since approximately November 21, marked the unit’s largest to date, following smaller actions in prior months.
The Ghosts in Action
Operating under Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence since 1994, the Ghosts specialize in striking fortified positions in occupied areas. Recent successes include operations in October 2025 and the RT-70 space communications hub strike in late August 2025. They verify damage before public disclosure, maintaining operational secrecy. Crimea has emerged as a focal point, with strikes accelerating since August.
Crimea’s Shifting Defenses
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, fortifying it with approximately 20,000 troops, airbases, radar stations, and Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. Once deemed impregnable with S-400 systems, the peninsula now shows vulnerabilities. Ukrainian drones have exploited fixed positions, creating coverage gaps despite dispersal efforts for aircraft.
Standout Target: The Kasta Radar
The Kasta-2E2, valued at $30-60 million, detects low-altitude threats from a stationary site. Its destruction opened intelligence pathways for further incursions. Paired with Podlet-K1 radars ($5 million each), these systems form a detection-tracking-fire chain with S-300/S-400 launchers. Losing all three in December fractured Crimea’s radar blanket, amplifying risks.
Logistics and Aircraft Losses
A Su-24 bomber ($25-30 million), equipped for missile and bomb runs, fell while parked, underscoring failures in aircraft protection without air superiority. Logistics hits—a train and truck ($1-2.5 million total)—disrupted fuel, ammo, and parts flows to southern fronts in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk. An Orion UAV ($5 million+), with 250 km range and 24-hour endurance, added to reconnaissance losses.
Escalation Pattern and Costs
The campaign capped a surge: S-400 strikes in August, RT-70 in late August, radar strikes in subsequent months, and a MiG-29 on December 4. Total losses reached $80-120 million, including antennas ($2-5 million). Sanctions delay replacements, outpacing Ukraine’s strike frequency against fixed systems. Fixed deployments remain a core weakness, as noted by analysts.
Russia’s Response and Broader Strain
Russia has shifted air defenses from other regions to Crimea, diluting coverage elsewhere. Sevastopol’s naval assets face heightened threats from drone and missile strikes. Supply chains to occupied south strain under disruption, weakening ground operations. Persistent gaps challenge garrison morale and Black Sea Fleet security.
These strikes signal a methodical erosion of Crimea’s role as a Russian hub, forcing resource trade-offs amid sanctions. As vulnerabilities compound, Ukraine gains operational edges, potentially reshaping southern dynamics and testing Russia’s sustainment capacity.
Sources:
“Ukraine’s Special Unit Destroys Two Critical Russian Radar Stations,” News Ukraine RBC, December 13, 2025
“Ukraine Strikes Russian Aircraft in Crimea, Destroying MiG-29,” Pravda Ukraine, December 3, 2025
“DIU Special Forces Destroy Russian An-26 Aircraft and Three Radar Stations in Crimea,” Ukrinform, December 11, 2025
“Ukraine Wipes Out Russian S-400 Radar Systems in Crimea,” United24Media, December 14, 2025
“Ukraine Just Took Out Su-24, Blinded Three Russian Radars and Destroyed Military Train in Crimea,” United24Media, December 4, 2025