August M
Russian military aircraft may have suffered an unusually heavy setback in a single day, as Ukrainian air defenses and Russian sources reported multiple losses.
While full confirmation is still pending, the claims highlight Ukraine’s continued focus on weakening Russia’s air power.
According to the Kyiv Post, Ukraine is believed to have downed two Russian warplanes in one day, including at least one aircraft destroyed over the Black Sea.
Early signals emerge
Initial reports of the first shootdown came not from Kyiv, but from Russian pro-war bloggers, Ukrainian officials said.
“One of their war correspondents was the first to start whining about the loss,” said Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Naval Forces, speaking on the My-Ukraine television channel, according to UNN.
“Information from that source has often been confirmed later,” he added, while stressing that official confirmation should still be awaited.
Which aircraft were hit
Early reports suggested two Su-34 fighter-bombers were lost. Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, later said the aircraft involved were one Su-34 and one Su-30 multirole fighter.
The Su-34 is a twin-engine, supersonic fighter-bomber widely used by Russia to launch guided bombs, cruise missiles and anti-ship weapons.
Russia has relied heavily on the aircraft for long-range strikes on Ukrainian cities, bombing runs near the front line, and operations over the Black Sea.
Where it happened
Dmytro Zhmailo, executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, said one aircraft was reportedly shot down over the Black Sea, while the second was hit and later crashed on Russian territory.
Each jet is estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars and requires highly trained crews that are difficult to replace.
Broader air war
Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces lost at least one aircraft and hundreds of drones over the past day as Ukrainian air defenses continued to counter Moscow’s aerial attacks.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian air power both at the front and deep behind enemy lines. Last year,
Ukraine’s SBU Alpha unit carried out drone strikes on Russian airfields, destroying aircraft, fuel storage and ammunition depots in operations Kyiv says caused more than $1 billion in damage.
Sources: Kyiv Post, UNN
