Ukraine claims first-ever kills of Russian Be-12 seaplanes. These aircraft are said to hunt naval drones.

"Very few combat platforms involved in the Ukraine war have escaped losses. The Russian Be-12 "Chaika" amphibious aircraft was one of them, at least until Sunday, when Ukrainian forces said they destroyed two of the planes in a historic first. Ukraine's intelligence directorate (HUR) said on Monday that two Russian Be‑12 aircraft, which Russia is said to use to patrol and hunt Ukrainian naval drones, were destroyed in a Sunday attack by its special "Ghosts" unit in occupied Crimea."

"The Be-12 amphibious aircraft, which NATO calls the Mail, was designed in the 1950s and was first flown in 1960. The decades-old turboprop plane was designed to conduct short-range anti-submarine and maritime patrol duties. It can reach speeds of nearly 330 mph and fly at a maximum altitude of around 10,000 ft. Western intelligence described the plane as a "key Russian asset" in Russian maritime air patrol operations in a 2023 update,"

Two Russian Be-12 "Chaika" amphibious aircraft were destroyed in an attack in occupied Crimea, representing the first recorded loss of that aircraft type. Ukraine's intelligence directorate (HUR) attributed the strike to its special "Ghosts" unit and said the planes were used to patrol and hunt Ukrainian naval drones. The Be-12, NATO-designated "Mail", is a 1950s-era turboprop designed for short-range anti-submarine and maritime patrol tasks, capable of nearly 330 mph and about 10,000 ft altitude. Western intelligence assessed the type as a key Russian maritime air-patrol asset operating from bases in Crimea. Ukraine has persistently targeted the peninsula.

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