Ukraine Claws Out Russia's Black Sea Eyes. $20k Drone Sends $100M F-15 in Circles

In this episode, we break down four pieces of footage that look strange on the surface, but tell a much bigger story underneath. First, Ukraine appears to strike deep into Crimea, hitting Kirovske airfield and reportedly destroying four Russian Orion drones, an An-72P patrol aircraft, and a P-37 radar, potentially damaging an entire surveillance chain over the Black Sea. Then we look at the viral footage of a US F-15 struggling to line up on a Shahed drone over Erbil. What looks like an embarrassing miss may actually show the limits of using a high-speed fighter against a slow, low-cost drone over a populated city. Next, we examine the clip of a US Navy F/A-18 flying low near Chabahar as a missile trail rises behind it. The footage may not show a jet in trouble, but a Super Hornet surviving inside a dangerous MANPADS envelope and possibly defeating the threat with onboard countermeasures. Finally, we cover the Isfahan rescue mission that spiraled into disaster after an F-15E was shot down, leaving a wounded WSO isolated in Iran and triggering a huge recovery effort that ended with Little Birds and MC-130Js destroyed on the ground. Estimates in the script put the total cost of the wider operation above $2.1 billion. This is a story about modern war at its strangest: cheap drones embarrassing elite fighters, hardened airfields suddenly looking vulnerable, ambiguous footage shaping the narrative, and enormous sums being spent to recover a single serviceman. --- Dark Footage showcases the most unbelievable photos and videos from history while telling the stories behind the camera. Featuring military, space, aircraft and real-life historic events caught on tape.