Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense is celebrating a string of victories in the sky, claiming the downing of three Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers on Thursday.
This reported achievement adds to what appears to be a highly successful month for Ukraine, which has already claimed the destruction of 13 Russian aircraft, including 10 Su-34s, two Su-35s, and one A-50.
This marks Ukraine’s most significant success against Russian aviation since last fall.
For weeks, Ukraine has been reporting successful takedowns of various Russian aircraft, including fighter-bombers, multi-role fighters, and even an airborne early warning and control plane.
The Ministry of Defense took to social media to highlight their achievements, stating that with “13 destroyed Russian planes in 12 days,” they are “running out of jokes about Russian aircraft.”
It’s important to note that Business Insider has been unable to independently confirm the exact number of aircraft claimed by Ukraine to have been downed.
Furthermore, the fate of the pilots involved in these incidents remains unknown.
This recent success follows Ukraine’s announcement last October when they claimed to have shot down five Russian Su-25 close-air-support planes over a 10-day period. Such rates and scales of victories had not been seen since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The ongoing air confrontations highlight the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia in the region.
