On December 17-18, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service executed a precision drone strike on the Belbek military airfield in Crimea, damaging a MiG-31 interceptor and critical components of Russia’s air defense, including the S-400 radar system. This operation underscores the growing effectiveness of unmanned systems in asymmetric warfare, a paradigm that may influence India’s defense modernization, particularly in countering adversaries utilizing similar Russian technologies. While Russian officials claimed to have intercepted the drones without damage, corroborating evidence indicates significant losses at the base, which plays a vital role in Russia’s air coverage over Ukraine and the Black Sea. The strike exemplifies the incremental erosion of Russian control in Crimea, impacting its military operations and geopolitical strategy in the region.