2023-12-23 22:05:42
Russian military bloggers and commentators acknowledged on websites and social networks the news that Ukraine shot down, on Friday (22), three Russian fighter jets in the south of the country. The downing of the planes means a real strategic turnaround for Kiev.
Published on: 23/12/2023 – 21:05Modified on: 23/12/2023 – 21:07
2 min
Stéphane Siohan, RFI correspondent in Kiev
The Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that they shot down three Russian Sukhoi-type fighter planes operating in the Kherson region.
“Today at noon, three Russian Su-34 fighters were shot down in the southern operational zone,” announced the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, on Telegram.
For months, Russian fighters have been approaching the front and rear lines, bombing Ukrainian forces from 40 km. Kiev claims that it was unable to advance its counteroffensive because it did not have air superiority or sufficient aircraft to do so.
The three Russian Sukhoi SU-34 fighters, among the most modern in the Kremlin’s fleet, were carrying out this type of operation when they were shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses. The three planes were operating to bomb the access to the Krynky bridge that the Ukrainians had managed to establish east of the Dnipro.
Patriot Batteries
The Russian military did not mention the incident, but Russian military bloggers and commentators acknowledged the loss of aircraft and crews. Kiev said the interception was carried out by a Patriot air defense battery assigned to the Odessa air defense brigade.
“For the Ukrainians, this is very representative because we can say it is the biggest loss of Russian planes since, if I’m not mistaken, April or May,” he told RFI Denys Kolesnyk, expert consultant for Central and Eastern European countries.
Ukrainians are expected to receive new Patriot batteries, mainly from Japan. “Let all Russian pilots know about our response to all Russian killers – none of them will go unpunished,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a speech on Friday night.
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