Russia Claims Destroying Four Ukrainian Warplanes a Day after Loss of 3 Su-34s

Four aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force - three Su-27 and one Su-24 - were destroyed by Russian air defense systems, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday.

This follows a claim by the Ukrainian Air Force chief that his forces intercepted three Su-34 jets which were returning after a bombing mission over Southern Ukraine. The Russians have not acknowledged the loss of warplanes nor have the Ukrainians shown any debris of the downed Russian jets.

“Four Ukrainian aircraft were shot down by air defense systems: three Su-27 and one Su-24 of the Ukrainian Air Force in the areas of the settlements Shirokoe, Odarovka, Zaporozhye region and Grigorovka, Dnepropetrovsk region,” the statement said.

“Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery from groupings of troops of the Russian Armed Forces at the Starokonstantinov airfield in the Khmelnytsky region hit the launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems NASAMS made in Norway and Crotale-NG made in France,” the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Aviation equipment, flight navigation aids and aviation ammunition at the Kanatovo airfields in the Kirovograd region and Dnieper, as well as manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 127 regions were also affected, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.