Six Russian Fighter Jets Shot Down

Six Russian Fighter Jets Shot Down in Just Three Days

Story by Isabel van Brugen

Ukraine's armed forces have shot down six Russian fighter jets in just three days, according to the country's Ministry of Defense.

The ministry said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that Ukraine on Monday destroyed two Russian jets—an Su-34 fighter-bomber and an Su-35S fighter jet.

"Russian planes continue to fall! This morning, defenders of the sky shot down two russian planes in the eastern direction—a Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35 fighter," it said. "In 3 days, Ukraine destroyed 6 russian jets."

The news comes after the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, said Ukraine destroyed four Russian military aircraft over the weekend.

"Units of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy aircraft at once—two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter," Oleshchuk said on Telegram on Saturday.

He said Kyiv shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber on Sunday morning.

A video circulating on social media on Monday morning appears to show the moment one of the jets was downed.

"Russian helicopters are flying over the sea, reportedly, they are looking for the aircraft crew," wrote Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, in a post on X.

Newsweek couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video or Kyiv's claims that it has destroyed six military jets in three days, and has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.

Kyiv's military said in an update on Monday that Moscow has so far lost 336 aircraft since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces posts figures on Russia's troop and equipment losses as part of its daily update on the war. It also said Russia had lost 1,290 troops in a single day—Moscow's biggest reported loss of the year. Newsweek couldn't independently verify Kyiv's figures.

Estimates of casualty numbers vary, with Ukraine's figures usually exceeding those of its Western allies. Moscow rarely shares information on the number of casualties or equipment losses it has sustained in the war.

Last month, the General Staff said Kyiv's forces shot down a Russian Su-34 over the eastern Luhansk region of Ukraine.

And in late December, Kyiv said it destroyed three more of the aircraft in a single day over Ukraine's southern Kherson region.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said in January that the recent string of losses indicate that Russia is not capable of achieving air superiority in Ukraine.