Ukraine's military shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter jet, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported on Feb. 21.
This is the seventh Russian military plane destroyed by Ukraine over the past week, according to the Air Force.
The jet's crew was confirmed killed as a result of the downing, Oleshchuk said on Telegram. The Su-34 aircraft is a two-seater.
The destruction of the jet is the latest in a recent uptick of downed Russian planes, including a Beriev A-50 military observation plane in January, which reportedly cost $330 million to produce.
Ukraine reportedly downed a Su-34 and a Su-35S plane on Feb. 19, a Su-34 plane on Feb. 18, as well as two Russian Su-34 fighter jets and another Russian Su-35 combat aircraft on Feb. 17.
Russia has lost almost 340 planes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 21.
There are signs that the uptick in aircraft losses has caused Russia to change its aerial strategy, reducing the number of sorties flown by Russia's Air Force, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in December 2023.
John Roberts
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