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Air Force: Russian air defense downs its own Su-25 jet

by The Kyiv Independent news desk December 17, 2023 9:31 PM 1 min read

A Russian Air Forces officer poses for a photo in the Sukhoi SU-25 SM jet aircraft during the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon on July 21, 2021 in Zhukovskiy, outside of Moscow, (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

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Russian air defenses have downed Moscow's own Su-25 jet, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Dec. 17.

"I can confidently say that it wasn't Ukrainian air defense," Oleshchuk added.

According to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, this is the 325th aircraft lost by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As of Dec. 17, Russia also lost 324 helicopters, according to Ukraine.

On Dec. 5, Ukraine's Air Force reported the downing of a Russian Su-24M bomber aircraft as it attempted to launch missiles toward targets in Odesa Oblast.

Russia has been enjoying an increasing air superiority near the front lines, with air power being among the reasons cited by Ukrainian officials and military observers for the failure of the summer counteroffensive.

Author: The Kyiv Independent news desk

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