In a stunning display of precision and coordination, Ukraine’s elite HUR military intelligence agency unleashed a devastating multi-target assault on occupied Crimea—the peninsula’s largest single-day strike since 2023. Operating under the call sign “Ghosts,” the Prymary drone unit systematically dismantled eight military targets simultaneously, decimating a Russian Su-24 tactical bomber, obliterating advanced radar systems, and incinerating critical logistics infrastructure.
The result: approximately $120 million in destroyed Russian assets erased in hours, proving even heavily fortified rear areas are no longer sanctuaries.
$25 Million Aircraft Eliminated at Kacha Airfield
The operation’s centerpiece was the destruction of a Russian Su-24 frontline bomber, worth approximately $25 million in production costs. The Soviet-era aircraft regularly delivers missile and glide-bomb attacks on Ukrainian cities and military positions.
Its elimination at Kacha airfield represents a rare penetration of Russia’s heavily fortified air defenses in occupied Crimea. The destruction signals growing vulnerabilities in supposedly protected rear areas—nowhere is truly safe for Russian aircraft anymore.
Critical Radar Installations Neutralized
The Ghosts targeted three distinct radar installations critical to Russia’s early-warning network. Destroyed systems included one 39N6 Kasta-2E2 long-range detection radar, worth $60 million, and two 48Ya6-K1 Podlet stations, valued at $5 million each.
These coordinated destructions assault Russia’s air defense backbone, creating “blind corridors” that expose Russian air assets and supply routes to deeper Ukrainian strikes.
$5 Million Unmanned Platform Neutralized
The Prymary unit destroyed a Russian Orion UAV, Moscow’s most advanced long-endurance surveillance platform capable of remaining airborne for 24 hours. Each Orion unit, including control stations, exceeds $5 million in value.
The destruction highlights Ukraine’s deepening counter-UAV capabilities and growing difficulty Russian operators face protecting high-value assets in occupied territories.
Logistics Network Under Assault
Beyond airframes and radar systems, the strike package targeted specialized military equipment, including a radio-transparent radome protecting advanced radar antennas, an army cargo freight train, and a Ural logistics truck. Military transport radomes typically range from $2 to $ 5 million, while Russian military freight trains represent substantial logistical investments.
The simultaneous destruction of these eight diverse targets signals Ukraine’s ability to orchestrate complex, synchronized precision attacks across multiple asset categories.
Total Destruction Value—$120 Million in One Night
Conservative estimates place the combined destruction value at approximately $120 million. The Su-24 bomber ($25-50 million), three radar systems ($65-70 million combined), the Orion UAV ($5-10 million), radome ($2-5 million), and logistics assets ($5-15 million) comprise the bulk.
This represents one of the costliest multi-target Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian military positions since the February 2022 full-scale invasion.
Catastrophic Damage to Russian Oil Processing
On the same night, Ukrainian drones targeted the Syzran oil refinery in Samara Oblast, 800 kilometers inside Russia, causing catastrophic damage to its primary crude distillation unit (CDU-6). The facility processes approximately 8.5 million tons annually. Industry sources reported that repairs could require “about a month,” with the primary unit having been damaged previously in August.
The strike reduces Russia’s refining capacity by approximately 70%, resulting in daily oil revenue losses of $15-30 million.
Temryuk Seaport Engulfed in Flames
Ukrainian drones struck Temryuk Seaport in Krasnodar Krai, igniting a massive fire at the LNG transshipment terminal operated by Maktren-Nafta. The strike ignited more than 20 of the port’s 30 storage tanks, each holding 200 cubic meters of LNG destined for Russian military logistics.
The SBU confirmed the fire burned for three days, destroying approximately 70% of the facility’s fuel storage capacity. For Russian soldiers on front lines, this means delayed supply deliveries and strained logistics networks.
Massive Counter-Strike Against Ukrainian Positions
In response to Crimea and infrastructure strikes, Russia launched 137 attack drones across multiple directions on December 4-5. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 80 drones, achieving a 58% interception rate.
57 enemy drones penetrated defenses, striking 13 separate locations across Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Donetsk, and Sumy oblasts. The assault targeted residential areas, critical infrastructure, and civilian facilities.
The Human Cost of Russian Retaliation
Russian drones struck the Vasylkivka community in Synelnykove district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing a 12-year-old boy and wounding a 37-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man. The attack destroyed one private home and damaged another.
Over the same 24-hour period, Russian artillery and FPV drone attacks on the Nikopol district injured a 70-year-old resident and damaged five apartment buildings. Across all December 5 strikes, at least 23 civilians were wounded, embodying the war’s human toll.
Summary Execution Violates Geneva Convention
Video evidence emerged on December 5 showing Russian forces executing a Ukrainian soldier attempting to surrender near Svyato-Pokrovske village in Donetsk Oblast. The serviceman emerged with hands raised, only to be fired upon by a Russian soldier positioned behind a house.
Wounded, the soldier attempted to shelter but was killed by automatic weapon fire. This summary execution violates the Geneva Conventions and represents the latest in a growing pattern of documented POW executions captured on camera.
Children Rescued from Russian Occupation
On December 5, Kherson Oblast governor Oleksandr Prokudin announced the safe return of 18 children, ages 2-17, from Russian-occupied territories through Ukrainian NGO Save Ukraine. Each child may have experienced forced military training, propaganda lessons, and threats against families.
Save Ukraine reported rescuing over 1,000 children from Russian occupation since conflict onset, though thousands remain trapped awaiting evacuation. Behind this miracle lies volunteer exhaustion and desperate families enduring enemy control.
Casualty Rate Defies Historical Precedent
As of December 10, 2025, Ukrainian military officials documented approximately 1,183,620 total Russian troop losses since February 24, 2022. This encompasses killed, wounded, missing, and captured personnel. December 5 alone saw roughly 1,240 Russian casualties reflecting sustained combat intensity.
Western intelligence estimates suggest total losses between 900,000 and 1.3 million, with irreversible casualties between 400,000 and 500,000. These staggering numbers represent entire divisions erased and generational losses reshaping Russia’s military.
Air Defense Network Degraded
Destroying three radar systems represents critical erosion of Russia’s air defense architecture across Crimea. Each destroyed system creates “blind corridors”—detection coverage gaps allowing Ukrainian drones and aircraft to penetrate deeper undetected.
Since 2023, Ukraine has steadily expanded its long-range strike capabilities through the use of airborne and maritime drones.
Illegal Occupation Becomes Strategic Vulnerability
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and spent 11 years fortifying it as a rear base for attacks and Black Sea operations. Today, with radar systems destroyed, tactical bombers eliminated, and air defense networks degraded, Crimea resembles a vulnerable “drone shooting gallery” rather than an “unsinkable aircraft carrier.”
The Ghosts demonstrated Ukraine achieved tactical capacity to hold high-value Russian assets at risk in supposedly protected areas. The occupation intended as strategic depth has become a strategic liability, with defending costs climbing daily.
Sources:
HUR military intelligence operation reports
Kyiv Independent SBU sources
Reuters Syzran refinery industry analysis
Ukrainian General Staff drone interception data
Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office war crimes video
Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin child rescue statement
OSINT military analysis Crimea radar assessments