A Russian warplane has plunged to earth and exploded on the ground ‘after being hit by a Ukrainian missile’.
The dramatic moment was captured on video and follows a Kyiv claim that two Vladimir Putin Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter, totalling more than $100million, had been downed.
Russian war channels have not admitted to the three losses but acknowledged one Su-35 had been lost and the pilot successfully ejected before being ‘evacuated in a timely manner’.
A picture was issued allegedly showing the rescue crew with the ‘saved Su-35 pilot’.
And there were unconfirmed claims from pro-Putin forces that the plane had been downed by its own side’s air defences.
A Russian warplane has plunged to earth and exploded on the ground ‘after being hit by a Ukrainian missile’
The dramatic moment was captured 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 downed
The footage shows the plane plummeting to earth in flames before exploding in a large cloud of smoke
But Ukrainian sources later said the video showed a Russian Su-34 crashing near the village of Dyakove in the Luhansk region.
The footage shows the plane plummeting to earth in flames before exploding in a large cloud of smoke.
Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, mocked the Russians for playing down their losses.
Claiming three hits, he said: ‘Let me remind you that the Su-35S is a single-seater aircraft, the Su-34 is a two-seater.
‘According to radio interception, one pilot was found, the others were “searched for”.’
He published a map showing where he believed the Russians were searching for downed pilots based on international satellite search and rescue system – Cospas-Sarsat.
The Russians claimed they did not use the system, and the data was fake.
He insisted: ‘On the morning of February 17, 2024, in the Eastern direction, 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.
Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, mocked the Russians for playing down their losses
Claiming three hits, he said: ‘Let me remind you that the Su-35S is a single-seater aircraft, the Su-34 is a two-seater’
‘Nothing will stop us.’
He claimed the Russians were actively looking for the downed pilots from other warplanes.
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’.
The strikes come as Ukraine had pulled back its forces in Avdiivka, conceding territory which the Russians are claiming as a major boost in the war.
‘The president has congratulated our soldiers and fighters on such an important victory and such a success,’ said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: ‘Based on the operational situation around Avdiivka, in order to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of our servicemen, I decided to withdraw our units from the city and move to defend more favourable positions.’
Ukrainian sources later claimed the video showed a Russian Su-34 crashing near the village of Dyakove in the Luhansk region
Some Russian channels ‘confirmed that the Ukrainian military shot down at least one Russian Su-35 aircraft’
The commanding general on the spot, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, said:
‘In a situation where the enemy is advancing over the corpses of its own soldiers under constant bombardment and has an advantage of 10 to one, this is the only correct decision.’
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian forces Oleksandr Syrskyi stated three planes were shot down during an attempt by the enemy to strike Ukrainian troops’ positions with guided aerial bombs.
