To divide
Several fighter jets and helicopters crashed in Russian territory on Saturday. It is the Luftwaffe’s biggest casualty to date.
Moscow/Kiev – Russia suffered a major loss in air force over the weekend in the Ukraine war. Several fighter jets and helicopters were shot down over Russian territory on Saturday (May 13). While Russian media initially reported a total of two Mi-8 helicopters and two Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets that went down, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat spoke of a total of three helicopters shot down afterwards. . for the fighters on Sunday.
Russia loses fighter jets, helicopters in Ukraine war
All planes crashed in the Bryansk region of western Russia on Saturday. Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomas initially only officially confirmed a helicopter crash. Several videos of the mid-air explosion and subsequent falling debris circulated on social media.
It is unclear who was responsible for shooting down the fighter jets and helicopters. The Ukrainian Air Force has officially denied responsibility for shooting down fighter jets and helicopters over Russian territory in the Bryansk region. According to Ihnat, it was not Ukraine, but the Russian air defense system, which was responsible for the accident. The Russian jets prepared an attack with slide bombs. “They wanted to bomb our peaceful people, our regions,” the spokesman said. Therefore, it was pleasant for him to read these news about accidents on the Russian enemy.
A Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber during a military exercise (icon image). © Vitaliy Timkiv/AP/dpa
Meanwhile, Commander Alexander Khodakowski, who is fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine, accuses Ukraine of being responsible for shooting down the planes. Ukraine could, however, expand its room for maneuver thanks to Western arms deliveries. He dismissed the fact that the Russian air defense system shot down several of its own machines as a result of a “stupid mistake”. After several fighter jets crashed over Russia, Wagner’s boss Prigozhin also got involved and shared his theory.
Fighter plane and helicopter crash in Russia, Russian Air Force’s biggest loss so far
At least nine people would have died in the accidents. However, there was no official information about it. According to the US military newspaper Task & Purpose, the shooting down of fighter jets and helicopters represents the biggest Russian loss in the air force since the beginning of the war. So far, Russia has managed to carry out air strikes. On Saturday, however, it was the first time that Russian planes had been shot down inside Russia’s borders.
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The plane’s crash over Russian territory came just a day after Ukraine first used Britain’s newly delivered Storm Shadow missiles to bomb two industrial plants in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. According to the military newspaper, the missiles could also hit Russia in terms of range. However, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Ukraine had pledged to use them only against targets within its own borders. (nz/dpa)