• A MiG-31, Ka-52, and Mi-8 crashed while repelling an air raid, prompting speculation that the friend-or-foe identification system was compromised.
  • Russian combat helicopters account for the largest share of Ukrainian drones being shot down.
  • Ukrainian F-16s are equally indispensable in intercepting Russian unmanned aircraft.
  • Putin proposed repeating in Kostiantynivka the humanitarian operation modelled on Oleshky — but there are fundamental differences between the two cities.
  • Maps of the day — Kostiantynivka
  • Videos of the day — an attack on the bridge across the Mius River; Kyiv residents flee a burning trolleybus struck by a drone.

A MiG-31, Ka-52 and Mi-8 crashed while repelling an air raid, prompting speculation that the friend-or-foe identification system was compromised. Reciprocal air raids have become so commonplace that it is impossible to report on their consequences every day.

It remains the case that while Russia mainly attacks energy infrastructure, Ukraine primarily targets refineries and oil-industry facilities. Both armies are inflicting serious damage on each other. Ukrainian cities, however, are suffering far more.

On Wednesday, however, a particular air raid targeted the area around St Petersburg, including the Ust-Luga oil terminal. The entire area has been the target of intensive air raids. Among other things, Ukraine this week struck a Russian missile corvette in the Baltic Sea, while several radars were reportedly hit on Wednesday:

🔥Three Russian radar systems were struck during Ukraine’s massive drone attack on Leningrad Oblast on November 11, according to Dosye Shpiona.

●Nebo-SVU long-range surveillance radar
●40V6 mobile radar tower
●Sopka-2 airspace surveillance radar complex pic.twitter.com/qUtqSxZYCk

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) November 13, 2026

But the greatest interest was generated by the crash of three military aircraft, in which seven crew members died. “Defending our skies has never cost so much in a single night,” the Voevoda Broadcasts channel wrote.

“Defending the skies over St Petersburg from drone attacks has cost us dearly today. Very, very, very dearly,” the well-known aviation channel Fighterbomber admitted on Wednesday evening.

It gave no details, but this time others did so on its behalf.

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