Ukrainian forces shot down the second Russian Su-34 attack plane in a single day on Feb. 27, the Air Force reported.
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk initially reported one Su-34 shot down in the eastern sector earlier today.
According to the Air Force, the second plane was downed at around 2 p.m. local time in the same sector as the previous one.
The destruction of the jet is the latest in a recent uptick of downed Russian planes, including two A-50 early warning and control aircraft in the past two months, each costing around $330 million.
Ukraine reportedly downed a Su-34 on Feb. 21, 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 around 340 planes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on the morning of Feb. 27.
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.
Elsa Court
(Updated: )
