Putin’s forces have taken yet another hit as Ukrainians have just shared photographs of a burning Russian fighting jet from the Kharkiv region.
It was most likely shot down by the anti-aircraft missile troops of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who shared footage of the same online.
Overall, the Ukrainian forces have successfully taken down 19 Russian planes.
Valued at £30million, all that remains of the hi-tech Su-35 fighter jet is rubble. Anton Gerashchenko, Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister, confirmed the strike reportedly writing, “50 million dollars worth of damage for the ogres!” Although the pilot attempted to escape he was later captured and detained.
The single-seat jet can be easily maneuvered and is able to make tight and sharp turns owing to its thrust-vectoring engines. Thus, it is generally used for air superiority missions. However, it is not a stealth fighter therefore pilots are required to have excellent dogfighting training.
The maximum speed it can reach is Mach 2.25 at 36,000 feet and it can carry 8,000kg in weapons with a range of around 1,000 miles.
The following video reportedly shows the moment the jet was gunned down.
A burning aircraft can be seen spiraling down in the footage before it finally hits the ground and bursts into flames. A man is heard saying, “‘Something is falling on the village. F**k! F**k! Here, here… Oh just right on the house.”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence gave an update saying that several oil tanks were destroyed in the fire at a depot in Belgorod which is a Russian city close to the Ukrainian border.
Russian forces have started shifting the conflict to the East as the Ukrainian Army continues to recapture areas such as the Kyiv region and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In addition, there have been attacks in the South today, particularly on Odesa, the Black Sea strategic port city.
The Ukrainian troops have had consistent support in the form of training and supplies like high-velocity anti-air missiles, body armor, helmets, and combat boots from Britain.
Britain’s entry into the war was marked by the British Starstreak missiles which brought down a Russian helicopter last Friday. The missile is a shoulder-mounted weapon that can travel at three times the speed of sound to intercept low-flying enemy jets. Furthermore, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised a new package of 6,000 missiles to Ukraine.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace noted that the Starstreak system was ready to be used imminently as Ukrainian troops had been trained in using it, acknowledging that Britain was by far ‘doing more than pretty much anyone else’ to help their nation. On one hand, NATO continues to turn down President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pleas for help, and on the other Britain has already sent thousands of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
“One of the biggest challenges is that the more you go up in the sophistication of weapons systems, the more training you require to use them, which is why the real focus of effort has to be helping the Ukrainians either refurbish or locate Russian or Soviet equipment that is already in their inventory,” he told the Daily Mail on Sunday.
Regardless of the Ukrainian troops’ success in reacquiring settlements, they were advised to proceed with caution because Russian tactics reportedly include splitting the nation into two by encircling them in the region of Donbas.
Source: Daily Mail
