Ukraine claimed its air force shot down three Russian warplanes in one of its most successful military operations since the start of the conflict 22 months ago.
Three Russian Su-34 fighter jets, armed with guided bombs and missiles, were shot down on Friday in Ukraine’s war-torn Kherson region in the south of the country, according to reports.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat praised the move on national television as a “brilliantly planned operation.”
“There has been no Su-34 for a long time in our positive statistics,” he said, citing the model as one of Russia’s most modern aircraft for bombing and other attacks.
Moscow has not commented on the allegations, but a Russian military blogger reported the loss, according to reports. Fighterbomber, one of the most influential bloggers, reported the loss of an unspecified number of aircraft, saying they may have been shot down by US-made Patriot missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that downing three Russian fighter jets would force Russian pilots to understand that none of them would go “unpunished” in the conflict with Ukraine. SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
During his daily televised address, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that the downed plane would force Russian pilots who attacked Ukrainian targets to think that “none of them will go unpunished,” the BBC reported.
Earlier, Zelensky cited a report by HUR, the country’s military intelligence agency, which reported a slowdown in Russia’s military capacity because its supply lines had been disrupted, a development echoed on Saturday by the UK Ministry of Defence.
Separately, Russia warned of “serious consequences” if Europe and the US undertake efforts to give seized Russian assets to Ukraine, a plan currently under discussion among Western nations. More than $300 billion of Russian Central Bank reserves were frozen in the West after Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, all of which could be handed over to Ukraine, which is desperate for funds as the US and European nations begin to reject continued support for the conflict. .
The Su-34 bomber is loaded with guided bombs and missiles. AFP via Getty Images
Moscow has threatened to cut diplomatic ties with the US if it seizes Russian assets frozen under sanctions. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the US “cannot act under the illusion that Russia is clinging with both hands to diplomatic relations with that country.”
At a press briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov threatened retaliation against any country that hands over Russian funds to Ukraine. “Russia will not leave those who did it alone,” he said, according to reports.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
