On the night of the latest Ukrainian missile assault on Russian military installations in Crimea, an American RQ-4B Global Hawk drone, using the call sign FORTE12, conducted an exceptional surveillance mission within close proximity of the operation zone. This strategic reconnaissance aircraft, which carries a price tag of over $200 million and is laden with sophisticated sensing and radar technology, ventured into airspace southwest of Sevastopol—home to a significant Russian military base—three hours prior to the Ukrainian offensive.
According to the flight tracking data reviewed, the Global Hawk remained in the vicinity for approximately seven hours, a departure from previous instances where US military flights have avoided the Black Sea airspace during active Ukrainian strikes. The intricate airborne patrol pattern executed by FORTE12 not only included the area south of Crimea but also approached the Russian city of Sochi.
During the operation, significant explosions were reported in multiple locations within Crimea, including Sevastopol city, Saky airfield, and Yevpatoriya, based on local social media accounts and corroborated by officials from the occupation authority. The targets, according to various reports, were Russian airfields and potentially air defense systems, with claims circulating about damage inflicted upon an S-400 air defense system.
There were also indications of a secondary Ukrainian strike aimed at logistics or transportation infrastructure in northern Crimea. These strikes allegedly hit four locations, including an air-defense installation near Chornomorske, as shared by Russian military bloggers.
At the time of the Ukrainian strikes at 02:45 local time on Wednesday, the FORTE12 was positioned 190-200 kilometers from Sevastopol in international airspace. The sortie, originating from Sigonella, Italy, extended over a period of roughly 16 hours, highlighting the endurance capabilities of the Global Hawk.
Russian analysts have accused the Pentagon of utilizing these surveillance flights to collect targeting information for Kyiv, with some suggesting the aircraft’s transponders are intermittently disabled to allow for more clandestine operations over “Russian” territory. Nonetheless, US Air Force spokesmen have emphasized that these missions are non-provocative and fully compliant with international law.
In an interesting turn, there were no US military or allied aircraft reported in the airspace during a preceding series of more intense Ukrainian strikes against Crimean targets. These previous attacks struck similar locations, with the aim to neutralize Russian S-300 and S-400 air defense systems belonging to Russia’s 31st Air Force Division, as reported by Radio Liberty.
The veracity of Russian claims that there was no damage and all missiles were intercepted stands in contradiction to social media, NASA satellite imagery, and independent analysts’ assessments, which suggest that the Ukrainian strikes were indeed successful in impairing Russian air defense capabilities at the affected sites.
Relevant articles:
– US Spy Plane Gets Front Row Seat to Latest Wave of Ukrainian Missile Strikes in Crimea , Kyiv Post, 06/12/2024
– Ukraine-Russia war – live: Ukraine strikes Russian missile systems in Crimea as Kyiv faces drone assault, Yahoo! Voices, 06/12/2024
– Russia Ukraine war: Russian missile systems hit in Crimea as Kyiv faces drone assault – latest, The Independent, 06/12/2024
– Ukraine-Russia war – live: Ukraine strikes Russian missile systems in Crimea as Kyiv faces drone assault, Yahoo News UK, 06/12/2024
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