Ukraine shoots down Russian Su-25 fighter jet

Ukrainian anti-aircraft guns shot down a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in the Donetsk region, the Khortytsia operational-strategic group of troops reported by telegram.

“In the Pokrovsky sector, our Ukrainian soldiers shot down a Russian Su-25 aircraft that was firing at the positions of defense forces units,” the report said.

The fighter-bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft gunners of a separate mechanized brigade named after Colonel General Marko Bezruchko.

“Another Su-25 fighter jet is currently burning in the steppes of the Ukrainian Donbass,” the message said.

The Su-25 is a single-seat subsonic armored fighter aircraft designed to provide close air support in combat zones during the day and night in poor visibility and adverse weather conditions. Targets can be ground and surface targets, as well as low-flying, slow-moving air targets.

The report did not specify which weapon was used to shoot down the Su-25.

The National Guard of Ukraine had previously reported that its soldiers had shot down a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in the Donetsk region. A team from the 31st Brigade of the National Guard hit the Russian aircraft with an Igla MANPAD launcher.

In February of this year, reports emerged of the shooting down of a number of Su fighter-bombers in Ukraine. A total of 12 Su aircraft and one A-50U radar aircraft were shot down within 13 days.

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The Sukhoi Su-34 is Russia’s main front-line fighter bomber, designed primarily to launch laser-guided bombs or long-range missiles for precise attacks on ground targets. Equipped with a radar for deploying modern Russian air-to-air missiles, the Su-34 is one of the Russian Army’s most expensive aircraft, costing around $36 million per aircraft.

At the time, Forbes reported that Ukraine could soon use up its top-of-the-line anti-aircraft missiles due to their role in shooting down Russian warplanes. Since then, however, Kyiv’s partners have increased their missile deliveries and promised more.

The repeated destruction of the planes is a significant setback for the Russian armed forces, which can barely produce more than a few dozen new combat aircraft a year due to foreign sanctions. Forbes estimates that they are losing fighters 20 times faster than they can replace them.

Forbes speculated that Ukraine’s success in air defense could be due to the increased deployment of American Patriot missile launchers, NASAMS surface-to-air missile batteries with a range of 40 kilometers, and other systems.