Kyiv's air force was on high alert for a week before launching its attack that took down a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber overnight Friday, according to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR).
Speaking with BBC Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the HUR, said that Ukraine's soldiers "waited for a long time" tracking the supersonic warplane, which was reportedly shot down roughly 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and crashed in Russia's Stavropol region. It marks the first time that Kyiv has taken out one of Moscow's strategic bombers while it was in the air, and comes amid Ukraine's increased attacks on Russian soil.
"We waited for a long time, we prepared, and finally we succeeded," Budanov told BBC Ukraine. "The week was, let's say, the very 'ambush.' We were waiting for him to reach the desired milestone."
The HUR chief did not discuss details of Ukraine's operation but said that Kyiv's air force used "the same techniques and the same means" that it did to take out Russia's A-50 military spy plane. He also said that the Tu-22M3 bombers—which are designed to hit sea and ground-based targets—have created some of the "most destruction" in Odessa, a port city on the Black Sea in Ukraine that has been repeatedly targeted by Moscow.
"Odessa will be a little easier now," Budanov told BBC Ukraine.
Prior to the HUR's statement early Friday, Russia's Defense Ministry said that one of its bombers had crashed in a "deserted area" in Stavropol because of a "technical malfunction." Three crew members were evacuated by a search and rescue team, and a search is ongoing for the pilot of the aircraft who evacuated during the crash.
Newsweek was unable to verify either report and an email was sent to the Russia MoD for comment.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addressed questions about Ukraine's downing of the Tu-22M3 during a press conference on Friday, telling reporters that Kyiv had a "right to self-dense" in the face of Russia's invasion.
"We have to remember this is a war of aggression where Russia is attacking a neighbor, attacking Ukraine," Stoltenberg said. "Ukraine has the right to self-defense. That includes also striking legitimate military targets outside Ukraine. So to down Russian planes which are used to attack Ukraine is part of Ukraine's right for self-defense."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that attacks and air strikes within Russian territory could be considered grounds for Moscow to turn to its nuclear arsenal. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned of nuclear escalation since it launched its invasion in February 2022.
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Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
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