Ukraine's armed forces have shot down a second Russian fighter jet in a day, according to Kyiv's military.
"Oops, we did it again! Another Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber was destroyed by Ukrainian warriors in the eastern direction," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said in a post on social media.
Ukraine's military has now claimed to have downed 11 Russian aircraft in 10 days, delivering a much-needed morale boost to Kyiv's forces after their retreat from Avdiivka in the country's eastern Donetsk region.
The Context
Ukraine has claimed to have had success in downing Russian jets in recent days.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on February 20 that Russia has been deploying aircraft less frequently after its recent string of losses.
What We Know
The commander of Ukraine's Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, announced Tuesday's first reported loss of a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber.
"One more minus Su-34 in the Eastern direction!" Oleshchuk said Tuesday morning on Telegram. "Yesterday, Russian pilots managed to evade our missiles, but this will not always be the case!"
"Therefore, 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. "Thank you all for your hard work! We work for victory!"
In a separate post on Tuesday, Oleshchuk said Kyiv's forces had downed another Su-34 jet at about 2 p.m. local time.
"With such losses of combat and special aviation, the Russians should think, at least for some time to stop 'airborne meat assaults,'" he said on Telegram. "Well, let's keep working...[Ukraine] To victory!"
The Kremlin hasn't commented on the reported losses. Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment on Tuesday via email.
Kyiv's military said in an update on Tuesday that Moscow has so far lost 340 aircraft since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Newsweek could not independently verify Ukraine's figures.
Views
"Wow... one more Sukhoi-34 down today. Two all-together so far. And the day ain't over yet. The hunting season in full swing," Olexander Scherba, a Ukrainian diplomat who worked as the ambassador of Ukraine to Austria from 2014 to 2021, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"Ukraine making mincemeat of the Russian air force today with two Su-34's going down faster than Putin's mom trying to pay the rent," the "Jay in Kyiv" X account posted. The account is linked to the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, which raises money to buy equipment for the Ukrainian army.
What Next?
A Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson said that Moscow understands that its forces are within the reach of Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses and doesn't "act as boldly as before."
"Our experience suggests that after Russian planes are downed and destroyed, the occupiers do not dare come closer—this is the case across the northern, southern, and eastern fronts," Yurii Ihnat said on national TV last week, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
"The closer the aircraft armed with guided bombs approach, the farther those bombs can reach into our defenses."
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Update 2/27/24, 10 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
