Vladimir Putin’s air force has been blitzed by Ukraine over the past ten days – with ten of its warplanes worth a total of £611 million reportedly wiped out in an embarrassing setback for the invaders.
As it announced that two of Russia’s Su-34 fighter-bombers had been blasted out of the sky yesterday, Ukraine’s defence ministry boasted that it had eliminated ten enemy planes in as many days – a rate of loss that Russia’s air force cannot sustain.
The loss of the bombers will have set Putin’s army back millions, with each worth £39m ($50m). Other planes Kyiv claims to have taken out this month include two SU-35 jets, costing £34m ($43m) each, and an A-50U AWACS reconnaissance plane – which intel suggests cost Russia £260m ($330m).
The strikes will be a welcome success for Kyiv, but come at a difficult time, with Russia advancing and recently claiming its first major victory since May in Avdiivka after months of bitter fighting.
Ukraine’s weapons supplies have also been choked, with shortages of munitions including its crucial 90-mile-range, US-made Patriot air-defense missiles – making it even more important that the Ukrainian forces hit their targets.
The dramatic moment was caught on video and follows a Kyiv claim yesterday that two Vladimir Putin Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter, totalling more than $100million, had been shot down
Two Russian planes were shot down on Monday with a grainy image shared by Ukraine’s Air Force Chief purporting to show the moment the wreckage of one fell from the sky
Dramatic images have emerged over recent days showing what Ukraine says is Russian fighter jets and a reconnaissance plane plummeting out of the sky over the east of the country.
Posting on Telegram, Ukraine’s Air Force Commander used the success as a warning to Russian troops: ‘I advise the occupiers to see their relatives before each flight, just in case. Because who knows, he will be lucky or not this time.’
He added that Russia would be wise to reconsider its ‘airborne meat assaults’ given the level of destruction to its air force in such a short time span.
‘Russian planes continue to fall!’ the Ukrainian defense ministry said.
Ten days before, Ukraine shot down two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter in the skies over eastern Ukraine, according to the air force chief.
Russian FighterBomber Telegram channel initially claimed there were ‘no losses’ and that the Ukrainians were ‘lying’.
Other Russian channels ‘confirmed that the Ukrainian military shot down at least one Russian Su-35 aircraft’.
‘On the morning of February 17, 2024, in the eastern (sector), units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy aircraft at once – two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter,’ Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram.
‘This is our land, and our sky!’ he declared victoriously, adding: ‘There will be more…don’t hang around!’
He was true to his word, with successive strikes reportedly seeing another Su-25 and five more Su-34s obliterated.
The destruction of the nine jets would represent a loss to Moscow of advanced warplanes worth in excess of £341m in total.
Ukrainian forces have shot down seven Su-34 bombers over the past 10 days (file photo)
Mykola Oleshchuk said that two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter (file photo) in the skies over eastern Ukraine
On February 23, Ukraine dealt yet another huge blow to Moscow’s forces, downing a £270m ($330m) Russian spy plane over Krasnodar.
Video showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the wreckage after the A-50U reconnaissance plane’s wing was reportedly torn off by a hit from a revamped S-200 Soviet-era long-range air defence missile – a staggering blow to Russia’s already diminishing collection.
Ten crew were reported to have been found dead at the crash site, though the planes typically carry 15 meaning the death toll could be higher.
It came down in Russia’s Krasnodar region, where Putin’s official Black Sea residence and private £1billion palace are located.
Russia now only has six of its state-of-the art spy planes remaining after another of the pricey aircraft was blasted out of the sky last month, according to Ukraine.
Russian sources initially blamed friendly fire but Ukrainian sources said the A-50U was downed ‘as part of a joint operation of [Kyiv’s] Main Intelligence Directorate and the Ukrainian Air Force’.
On February 23, Ukraine dealt yet another huge blow to Moscow ‘s forces, downing a $330m Russian A-50 spy plane (file image)
Video showed smoke billowing from the crash site of a spy plane in Krasnodar, western Russia
The loss of the A-50U – the second in six weeks – will mean a severe blow to Putin’s aerial reconnaissance, harming Russia’s ability to pinpoint targets for missile strikes and monitor Ukrainian battlefield deployments.
Some accounts say it was flying over the Sea of Azov when it was hit.
It came down near Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence directorate said: ‘The last flight of the A-50U took place on February 23, 2024 at 15:50 from the Akhtubinsk airfield and was supposed to carry out terrorist tasks of the aggressor state of Russia near the settlements of Primorsko-Akhtarsk – Zernograd.
‘An abrupt stop of the Bumblebee radar complex’s work…was recorded by GUR’s radio technical intelligence stations at 18:45.
‘The fire damage of the modernised A-50U of the Russian Air Force was confirmed by the radio interception of the conversation of the Su-35 cover crew.
‘One of the Russian pilots reports on the radio that he observed the work of air defense, flash and explosions.’
‘Congratulations to the occupiers on the Defender of the Fatherland day,’ said a sardonic Ukrainian aroid force commander General Mykola Oleshchuk.
Since receiving advanced Western air defence systems, Kyiv has been able to deploy these weapons to pose an increasing threat to Russian aviation.
The successes come as the war grinds into its third year, with Kyiv continuing to lobby for support as Moscow holds its line and achieved recent gains in the east of the country.